


Ketterdam

by SeriesofUnfortunateFangirling



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Child Abuse, Do not post to another site, F/M, Flirty Jesper Fahey, Gun Violence, Gunshot Wounds, How Do I Tag, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jan Van Eck's A+ Parenting, M/M, Minor Character Death, Outer Banks Fushion, Treasure Hunting, Underage Drinking, Verbal Abuse, rated t for swearing and innuendos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:28:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 84,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26129551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeriesofUnfortunateFangirling/pseuds/SeriesofUnfortunateFangirling
Summary: Ketterdam was known as the pleasure capitol of the world. It was the kind of place where you either had two houses or two jobs. Kaz Brekker and his friends belonged to the latter portion: the dregs of society. Hence the name for themselves.After Kaz's brother goes missing, the Dregs are thrust into the hunt for a long-lost treasure. But they aren't the only ones looking for it. They'll need to rely on each other and a few unlikely allies to become rich beyond their wildest dreams. It's a summer they'll never forget.ORA Six of Crows/Outer Banks fusion fic
Relationships: Inej Ghafa & Nina Zenik, Jesper Fahey/Wylan Van Eck, Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa, Matthias Helvar/Nina Zenik
Comments: 51
Kudos: 68





	1. Pilot

**Author's Note:**

> As I was watching Outer Banks, I kept thinking of my murder babies and how this storyline would work for them. The characters aren't direct matches to any Outer Banks counterparts, but I have enjoyed mixing these two worlds. 
> 
> Special thanks to my sister for being my beta, even though she hasn't read SOC.
> 
> The Six of Crows characters belong to Leigh Bardugo, Outer Banks belongs to Netflix, I own nothing.

Jesper stood on one foot on the roof of the still-in-construction beach house, dangling the other foot over the side. He was clutching a can of beer, and looked away from the edge to take a swig. 

“Hey!”

Jesper momentarily lost his balance and looked down at the deck Matthias was standing on. He righted himself and smirked at the tall blonde boy below. 

“Jesper, perhaps you should move back. If you fell from that height…” Matthias started.

“You saying you wouldn’t catch me? Come on, Matthias, I thought we were friends!” Jesper cut him off, laughing. Matthias glared up at him. “Oh, don’t worry about me, I’m not gonna fall. Besides, Inej is up here too, I don’t see you yelling at her.” He looked over his shoulder and winked at the girl sitting on the roof next to him.

“I am not a restless ball of energy prone to recklessness,” Inej said without looking up from feeding some crows.

Nina came out of the nearly finished house and strode over to join Matthias on the deck. “This house is going to have fancy towel warmers! Saints, what I wouldn’t give to be rich.” She saw Matthias looking up and turned to follow his gaze. She sighed as she caught sight of her friend swaying on the roof. “Jes, could you maybe try not to kill yourself?” 

“You have to find the proper motivation to get him to stop, Nina,” a raspy voice came from the shade closer to the side of the house. Kaz raised his voice “Jesper, don’t spill that beer, I’m not giving you another one!” The beer can landed with a splat at Kaz’s feet. “Of course, you drop it right when I mention it.”

The sound of a car driving up drew Matthias’s attention to the street below. He saw two figures getting out of a purple patrol vehicle. “Stadwatch is here!” He called out to his friends. Jesper and Inej began scrambling down the scaffolding to join the others on the deck. The five teens took off running through the unfinished house, making a hasty retreat to Kaz’s van that they had parked a few houses away. Inej led the way, weaving a path through the backyards of the neighboring houses. They made it to the van soon enough, piling into the back as Kaz limped around to the driver’s seat. He started the car and pulled away before the others had shut the sliding door.

Jesper and Nina let out whoops of joy at the thrill of their successful escape. Inej climbed into the passenger seat as the fancy houses of the Merchers from the Geldin District sped past. Kaz was driving them back to the Barrel, home of the Dregs. 

Ketterdam was known as the pleasure center of the world. It was the kind of place where people either had two houses or two jobs. The teens in the van belonged to the latter portion of people living in Ketterdam. They were the dregs of society, hence the name for themselves.

Jesper Fahey, a native of Novyi Zem, had moved to Ketterdam with his father, Colm, several years ago after the death of his mother. Jesper’s Da had sold their farm and moved the family to Ketterdam in the hopes of a better life for his son. Colm started an odd jobs and delivery service while Jesper attended school. Jesper was a bit of a wild card with an unending supply of energy. He was always moving and always down for whatever excitement he and the Dregs could get into.

Nina Zenik was a force to be reckoned with. She was loud, curvy, and beautiful. A transplant from Ravka, Nina had come to Ketterdam to live with extended family after her parents had been killed in the Ravkan civil war. She had a gift with languages, and was exceptionally fluent in sarcasm and flirting. Nina had big plans and the confidence needed to achieve them. For now, she was content to get into trouble with the Dregs and eat as many waffles as she could.

Where Nina was fiery, her boyfriend Matthias Helvar was ice. Or at least he was the wet blanket on the Dregs’ fun parade. Matthias was raised in Fjerda and had a very strong, if sometimes questionable, moral code. He had relocated to Ketterdam after escaping an abusive foster family. While he had loosened up quite a bit since meeting the Dregs, he was still quick to point out the rules they broke and tried (read: failed) to keep his friends out of trouble. 

Inej Ghafa was an enigma. She was technically rich, as her parents, who were retired acrobats, owned a very popular restaurant in Ketterdam called The High Wire. The rest of the Dregs weren’t really sure why she chose to hang out with them, but they loved her anyway. Especially because she had a knack for sneaking and learning people’s secrets.

And finally, the leader of this ragtag group, Kaz Brekker. For a boy living right off the coast in a beach town, Kaz was certainly peculiar. His wardrobe consisted of all black, and he was never seen in anything that revealed skin, even when he rode on Inej’s boat _The Wraith_. He always wore black leather gloves, and he always had his trusty crow’s head cane with him that he used due to an old injury that had never properly healed. Kaz was an emancipated minor. His brother, Jordie, had disappeared at sea almost a year ago, and was presumed dead. Jordie had been Kaz’s guardian since their parents died, but right before he vanished, Jordie had made Kaz get emancipated. It had almost been like Jordie knew he wouldn’t be coming back.

Kaz turned the van off the road onto a long dirt driveway. The Dregs had made it home, home being Kaz’s house. The Slat was an old fishing shack on the marsh. The Dregs were often found at the Slat, and ever since Jordie had disappeared they had all but moved in.

As they pulled up to the Slat, a horrid beeping began blaring out of the radio. _“This is the Emergency Broadcasting System: Hurricane Alina is expected to reach Ketterdam this afternoon…”_ Kaz switched off the radio. Hurricane Alina had been on the news for days, with weather forecasters predicting one of the biggest storms Ketterdam had seen in years. 

Jesper opened the van’s sliding door and stuck his head out. “Oh man, the winds are already picking up! Kaz, you gotta take us to the beach, the waves have to be insane right now!”

“Dangling off rooftops, wanting to surf before a hurricane, you really do have a death wish,” Matthias admonished.

“Matthias don’t be such a spoilsport. The winds aren’t too bad yet,” Nina argued. “Besides, I just got a new red bikini that I know you’ll love.” Nina winked, and Matthias’s face promptly turned as red as Nina’s promised swimsuit, but he didn’t continue his fight against going to the beach.

“And what makes you think I’ll drive you idiots to the beach hours before a hurricane is supposed to hit?” Kaz questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“The beach will be deserted Kaz, no one will be there to gawk at a fully clothed edgelord sitting in the sand,” Jesper said.

“And you can laugh at Jesper when he can’t even stand up on his board because the waves are so rough,” Nina added, throwing Jesper a smirk. He threw a middle finger in return.

“It sounds like fun,” Inej said quietly, glancing over at Kaz. 

Kaz returned her gaze silently, and after a few moments said, “Well don’t just sit there, Alina will be here and gone before we even get to the beach.”

The Dregs tumbled out of the van and hurried to grab their surfboards. Jesper and Matthias strapped the boards to the roof of the van, and after a few more minutes, Nina and Inej came out of the Slat wearing swimsuits. Matthias nearly choked at the sight of Nina in her red bikini. Jesper thumped him on the back helpfully before shoving him back into the van. They drove down the driveway and out of the marsh, headed for the closest beach.

Once they had arrived, Jesper wasted no time in getting the boards down from the van. They raced down to the water, past the signs warning that the beach had been closed due to the hurricane. Matthias took one look at the waves, deemed them unsurfable, and stayed with Kaz in the sand. Nina, Jesper, and Inej ran into the water as rain started to fall. Nina had been right, the waves were already pretty rough. After a few attempts and fewer successful rides, Inej was the only one capable of getting on her board. Kaz let out a shrill whistle, and the three teens in the water headed back to shore.

“That was great! I may have bruised a rib, but it was worth it!” Jesper crowed happily. 

“Did any of you see the boat?” Kaz asked.

“What boat?” Nina questioned.

“There was a boat out there, a white one. I couldn’t tell whose boat it was,” Kaz answered.

“Who in their right mind would try to sail in this weather?” Jesper asked. He didn’t get an answer, but Kaz definitely had his scheming face on. 

“Kaz, I need to go home, my parents will want me back before the storm gets worse,” Inej said.

“Me too, Da probably needs help making sure everything’s stored away properly,” Jesper added. Kaz nodded that he had heard and began taking the crew back to their houses. Nina and Matthias decided to wait out the hurricane with Kaz at the Slat. Kaz left them on the pullout sofa and went to his room. He fell asleep wondering who would have been boating during a hurricane and where they were trying to go.

*-*

Kaz woke hours later to water dripping onto his face. He sighed, realizing Alina had left him with a leak in the Slat’s roof. He reached for his cane and walked into the living room. He flipped the light switch as he passed, but no lights came on. The power was out. Matthias and Nina were still asleep, cuddling on the pullout sofa. He tapped his cane on the bed as he went by, waking them. 

Nina blinked slowly. “How bad?”

Kaz walked out onto the porch. He took in the sight of a fallen tree and several branches from other trees strewn across his yard. Inej’s boat, which she kept at the Slat, was covered in debris. However, the Slat was still standing, and the van appeared to be fine. “Could have been worse,” he answered.

Matthias and Nina joined him outside. “What should we do?” Matthias asked.

“After a storm like that, the crabs will have been pushed into the marsh, and some bigger fish will have tried to follow. We could gather the others and go fishing,” Kaz suggested. He and Matthias moved to uncover _The Wraith_ and got it ready to sail. Nina tried to text Inej and Jesper only to find that there was no reception. Hurricane Alina must have knocked out the cell towers along with the power.

Once _The Wraith_ was cleared, Matthias pushed it into the water. Kaz tossed Matthias the key, and they waited onboard for Nina to join them. Nina came out of the Slat carrying a cooler which Kaz assumed had been filled with any beer left in his fridge. Nina passed the cooler to Matthias and climbed onboard.

“Djel, that’s heavy. Did you leave anything in the fridge?” Matthias questioned.

“Says the man who single-handedly shoved the boat into the water,” Nina quipped back, sticking out her tongue.

“Inej first, then Jesper,” Kaz directed. Matthias started the boat and steered in the direction of Inej’s parents’ restaurant. The crew commented on the destruction that had been left in Hurricane Alina’s wake. Nothing had been left untouched by the storm. Trees had fallen, roofs had collapsed, and there were all sorts of things floating in the water. Matthias weaved his way through the water, careful to avoid the debris.

When they pulled up to the dock closest to Inej’s place, Nina climbed out. “I’ll go get Inej, and maybe her parents have some food we can eat,” she called as she walked up the pier. The boys didn’t have long to wait before Nina reappeared with Inej in tow, both girls carrying bags of snacks. 

“Nina, didn’t you get enough refreshments from my house without having to raid Inej’s?” Kaz called.

“You don’t have professional chefs at your house!” Nina yelled.

“Good morning Matthias, Kaz,” Inej greeted. Matthias nodded at her and went back to driving the boat. 

“Inej, how did your family fare against Alina?” Kaz asked.

“Not too bad. The power is out, but it seems like the power is out on most of the island. Dad was working on the generators, he wants to be up and running as soon as possible.”

Kaz nodded and turned his attention to the docks. He was scanning the other boats, looking for the one he had seen the day before. None of the boats matched, and he didn’t see any empty spaces to point to who had been out sailing either.

As the Dregs got closer to the Fahey’s pier, they saw Jesper and his father out cleaning the dock. Nina pretended to speak into a radio. “This is your captain speaking, we have a mandatory Dregs meeting, over.”

“You’re not the captain,” Kaz said.

“You’re right, Kaz. Captain Inej, would you like to make the meeting call?” 

“Guys, I should really stay and help Da clean up,” Jesper said.

“Day after hurricane is a free day, everyone knows that!” Nina yelled.

“I don’t think I’m familiar with that rule,” Colm called back. “Good morning, all!”

“Good morning, Mr. Fahey!” The Dregs chorused, even Kaz.

“Your choice, Jesper, we’re going fishing before everything swims back out,” Kaz said.

“Da, can I go? I’ll clean up later, I promise!” 

“I don’t know, Jes, we still have to clean out the boat, and I’m sure people will need deliveries.”

“Get in the boat now or we’re leaving without you,” Kaz said.

Jesper looked between his friends and his father for a moment, dropped his broom, and ran to get on the boat. “Bye Da, I’ll be back to help clean the boat soon!”

“Jesper Llewellyn Fahey, you’ll be cleaning more than the boat!” Colm yelled after them.

“Llewellyn?” Inej asked with a laugh.

“Shut up, Inej… what’s your middle name?”

“Like I’m telling you, Llewellyn.”

Matthias drove the boat back into the marsh, following Kaz’s directions. Nina passed the cooler full of beers around, then sat on the deck by Matthias. Inej sat with her legs over the side, letting her feet skim over the water. Jesper climbed up on the front of the boat, beer in hand. “Watch this guys! Matthias, go faster!” Matthias sped up a little, and Jesper held the beer away from his face, trying to catch the stream of liquid as it flew out of the can. 

Nina crinkled her nose in disgust. “Jes, stop, you’re getting beer in my hair!”

All of a sudden, the boat ground to a stop. Jesper fell headfirst into the water. Inej caught herself at the last second with a backwards somersault and landed on her feet. Matthias slammed into the steering wheel.

“What the hell was that?” Nina cried.

“Nice going, Matthias. I may never let you drive the boat again,” Kaz groused.

“Did we hit a sandbar?” Inej asked.

Jesper broke through the surface, coughing up water. “I think my feet touched the back of my head.” He swam back over to the boat as the others looked down into the water, trying to figure out what had caused their sudden stop.

“I think there’s a boat down there,” Inej pointed.

“Not just any boat. I think that’s _the_ boat,” Kaz added.

“You mean the boat that was sailing during the storm yesterday? How can you tell?” Jesper asked.

“I was looking for it all morning, but I didn’t see it at any of the docks. I was wondering where it ended up,” Kaz mused.

“We should’ve known Kaz had ulterior motives for coming out today. He’s never suggested going fishing for anything but information,” Nina sighed. 

“Jesper, since you’re already in the water, swim down there and see if you can figure out who that boat belongs to,” Kaz ordered. 

“I don’t know, it looks pretty deep,” Inej said.

“I’ll be fine, Inej. Matthias, pass me the anchor, I’ll go down faster,” Jesper said. Matthias handed over the anchor, and just before he was fully submerged, Jesper called out “No mourners!”

“No funerals,” the Dregs answered.

Jesper sank deeper and deeper into the water, holding tight to the anchor. Once he was level with the shipwreck he let go and swam around the boat. It was a brand new Grady-White, and was probably worth 500,000 kruge. Jesper swam around the deck, looking for any clues to the owner. His eyes caught a flash of bright yellow, and he stopped to pick up a key with a Geldrenner Motel tag attached. He curled his hand into a fist to make sure he didn’t lose the key and returned to the surface.

“What did you find?” Kaz questioned.

“Djel, Kaz, let the man breathe,” Matthias said, reaching a hand to pull Jesper back onto the boat.

“Any dead bodies?” Nina asked.

“No, and I didn’t see anything to tell me who the boat belonged to. I found this though,” Jesper grinned and held up the motel key. 

Kaz snatched it from Jesper’s hand and examined it closely. “Looks like we’re heading to the Geldrenner. Inej, care to drive us? I don’t trust Matthias’s sailing abilities anymore.” Matthias scowled at Kaz, but didn’t argue as he pulled up the anchor. 

“Maybe we should tell someone about the boat. There might be a finder’s fee!” Nina suggested happily.

“I’d rather find out what’s going on myself,” Kaz dismissed the idea. 

Inej started the boat and steered in the direction of the motel. None of the Dregs saw the body caught in the reeds, glassy eyes staring up unseeing into the sky.

*-*

“Look, Mr. Van Eck, I haven’t seen him since before the storm. Last I heard, he was here. If you could just tell me where my uncle might have gone…”

“What did the Stadwatch say?” Jan Van Eck interrupted coldly.

“They said I had to wait 48 hours before I could file a missing persons report. But I know something is wrong, he wouldn’t…”

“Per Haskell is fine. He knows how to survive a storm,” Jan interrupted again.

“Please, when was the last time you saw him?”

“He was prepping the _Red Laurel_ with my son.”

“Can I speak to him?”

Jan sighed, but beckoned the young girl to follow him. Per Haskell’s niece Anika had shown up a few minutes ago, and it was clear she wasn’t leaving without information about her uncle. Per sometimes worked for the Van Eck family, and just yesterday had helped batten down the hatches before Hurricane Alina. Anika said Per never made it home.

Jan Van Eck was one of the most prominent merchers in Ketterdam. He owned a construction and real estate empire with his business partner Pekka Rollins, and the two men owned a large part of the island. The Van Ecks lived in a historical mansion house called Bayurhill, one of the original properties of Ketterdam built by the founder of the region.

Jan led Anika through the house in search of his son. They passed several servants cleaning up after the hurricane. “Have you seen Wylan?” Jan asked one of the men working on a generator. The man pointed to the backyard, and Jan heard the voice of his second wife Alys calling outside.

“Rufus! Rufus, come back! Wylan did you find him?” Alys sobbed. 

Jan and Anika stepped through the back door to find Alys and Wylan combing the backyard, searching for Rufus. “Wylan! What are you doing?” Jan yelled sharply. 

Wylan flinched and looked up, wide eyes finding his father. He jogged over, explaining “Alys let Rufus out, but the storm knocked down part of the fence. I was  
helping her look for him.”

“Never mind that, this young lady has some questions for you,” Jan said. “This is Anika, Per Haskell’s niece. He was here yesterday.”

“Yes, Mr. Haskell helped me latch the cabin on the _Red Laurel_ before the storm.”

“Did he say anything about where he was going? Maybe he got a phone call or something?” Anika questioned.

“I’m sorry, he didn’t say. Is he ok?” Wylan worried.

“I’m sure he’s fine, probably just hunkered down somewhere for the storm and he’ll be home soon. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have business to attend to,” Jan said.

Wylan watched sadly as his father led Anika back towards the house. He hoped Anika would find her uncle, but a bad feeling had settled in the pit of his stomach. 

*-*

Inej steered _The Wraith_ to the shoreline by the Geldrenner. The Dregs took in the sight of the rundown motel. Jesper whistled lowly “Well this place looks like a shitshow.” 

“I thought you said that boat was a Grady-White. This doesn’t look like a place someone with that kind of boat would stay,” Nina said.

“No, it looks like the kind of place a person with a Grady-White would get killed,” Kaz mused. He was squinting at the building, as if he could figure out the pieces of the puzzle if he stared hard enough. 

Inej slowed the boat as they approached land. Jesper and Matthias jumped out to tie the boat to the dock. Once the boat was secure, Kaz stepped onto land, key in hand. “Jesper, with me. The rest of you stay here and keep watch.”

“Don’t let Jes do anything stupid!” Nina called.

“Don’t worry, I will!” Jesper shouted back.

“I make no promises,” Kaz said.

“Be careful, Kaz. I mean it,” Inej said softly. 

“My darling Inej, treasure of my heart, when am I not careful?” Kaz smirked. He turned and led Jesper to the motel. They climbed the stairs to the second floor, looking for room 216.

Jesper elbowed Kaz as they walked. “‘Be careful, Kaz.’ What was that about?”

“Perhaps Inej just wants us to be careful.”

“Seems to me like she was only concerned about you,” Jesper teased. 

“Not everything is related to matters of affection.”

“But this is! Come on, Kaz, you’d have to be blind to not know Inej is into you. And I know you’re not blind.”

Kaz rounded on Jesper, pushing him up against the wall of the motel, cane at his throat. “Drop it Jesper. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Just because you’ll jump into bed with anyone who has a pulse doesn’t mean the rest of us want to.”

Jesper raised his hands in surrender. “Ok, Kaz. Just forget it.” Kaz stared at Jesper for a moment, then dropped his cane, moving on. Jesper followed. “Which room are we looking for again?”

Kaz stopped in front of a door. “This one.” He tried to peer into the window of the motel room, but the curtains were drawn.

Jesper knocked on the door and pitched his voice two octaves higher than usual. “Housekeeping!” There was no answer. He turned to Kaz, “Looks like no one’s home. Too bad we actually have a key, you can’t put your lockpicking skills to use today. And the power’s still out, so the security cameras aren’t working. This is our easiest job ever!”

Kaz put the key in the lock and opened the door. The two boys entered quickly, shutting the door behind them. “There’s a bag on the bed, look in there,” Kaz ordered. 

Jesper moved to the bag on the bed while Kaz looked around the room. “There’s no luggage tag on the bag. Let’s see, men’s clothing. Definitely over 50, there’s New Balances in here.”

Kaz had gone to the bedside table and looked at a map that had been left out. There was a sticky note with coordinates stuck to the map, marking a place near the continental shelf. Next to the map was a scrap of paper with a six-digit number on it. He turned around, eyes landing on a standard hotel room safe. He crossed the room, paper in hand, and punched in the code. 

“Damn, Kaz, you’ve gotten really good at cracking safes.”

Kaz rolled his eyes as he opened the door, Jesper watching over his shoulder. The safe contained stacks of kruge and two pearl handled revolvers. Kaz took out a stack of kruge, thumbing through it and counting out how much was in the safe. 

Jesper’s eyes widened as he reached for the revolvers. “Hello, beautiful!” 

“Only you would go for guns when there’s a safe full of money,” Kaz sighed.

Jesper took the guns out of the safe, testing their weight. “Oh, these babies are loaded. Look at these!” Jesper twirled a gun in each hand, then pretended to shoot invisible foes. “Kaz, take a picture!”

“You want me to take a picture of you? How else should we go about making incriminating evidence?” Kaz said sarcastically.

Before Jesper could answer, they were interrupted by the sound of something hitting the window of the motel room.

*-*

While Jesper and Kaz were searching the motel room, Matthias, Nina, and Inej were waiting on _The Wraith_. Nina had helped herself to the bags of food from Inej’s house, and she was munching happily on some toffees.

“Nina, don’t eat too much now, you’ll spoil your appetite,” Matthias said.

“Saints, Matthias, are you my mom now?” Nina snarked as she offered the candy to Inej. Inej smiled as she took one. 

“Do I get one?”

“Well, mom, I wouldn’t want to spoil your appetite.”

Inej looked up at the sound of a car approaching. “Stadwatch!” She said as a purple cruiser pulled into the motel parking lot. Nina and Matthias stopped bickering to watch as two officers got out of the vehicle. A worker from the main office came out, and after a short discussion, he pointed the two officers up to the room that Kaz and Jesper were searching.

“Call Kaz!” Nina whispered.

“The towers are down, we can’t call them,” Matthias reminded her.

“Inej, what do we do?” Nina whirled around to face Inej, but was met with an empty space. She searched the area to find Inej sprinting towards the side of the Geldrenner. 

The room Jesper and Kaz had gone into was at the end of the building, and there was an awning over the first floor window. Inej climbed up onto the awning and tapped on the second story window. After a moment, Kaz’s gloved hand pulled the curtains open. Inej pointed toward the door and said “Stadwatch.” Kaz looked to the door just as a knock sounded. 

Kaz threw open the window and climbed out, dragging Jesper with him. Inej had already climbed off the awning to give them space. Jesper moved to follow Inej down when Kaz shoved him to one side of the window. “Wait,” he whispered. Kaz stood on the other side of the window and watched the two officers who had entered the motel room. He recognized one of the officers as Deputy Specht, Sheriff Rotty’s right hand man. The two officers put on gloves and began searching the room. Specht found the safe first, and examined the contents. Kaz watched as he pulled out a few stacks of kruge, and then a large manila envelope. Specht opened the envelope and slid out what appeared to be photos of the ocean floor. 

After a few minutes, the officers finished bagging any evidence they had discovered in the motel room. They gathered what they had found and exited the room. Kaz and Jesper waited a few more minutes before joining Inej on the ground. They all went back to _The Wraith_. Matthias and Nina had already untied the boat, and they set off as soon as everyone was back on board.

“Well, that was fun! You could’ve warned us a little sooner, though,” Jesper grinned.

“You’re lucky I got there as fast as I did,” Inej said. 

“The cops took a bunch of stuff out in evidence bags. Did you find anything first?” Nina asked.

“Oh, we found stuff,” Jesper pulled out the two revolvers, and Kaz showed them a stack of kruge.

“Are you serious? You took that from a crime scene?” Matthias shouted.

“I couldn’t leave these beauties behind! They’d just be sitting in evidence lockup, calling me. Jesper, shoot us, you know you want to,” Jesper crooned.

“Does anyone else think Jesper with guns is a terrible idea?” Nina asked.

“Why do I hang out with you people?” Matthias groaned.

“Aw, Matty, don’t lie, you love us,” Jesper said.

“Shut up,” Kaz hushed the group. “What’s going on over there?”

 _The Wraith_ was passing one of the bigger ports, and there was a flurry of activity on the docks. Stadwatch officers, including Sheriff Rotty, were taking statements from a crew. Medics were strapping someone to a stretcher. They watched as a girl their age ran to the stretcher and started sobbing. 

“Stop the boat. Inej, can you find out what’s going on?” Kaz asked.

Inej nodded and slipped onto the docks, sneaking closer to the commotion. The rest of the Dregs waited, and after a few minutes she returned. “That crew found a body in the water. It was Per Haskell, he’s dead.” 

“Poor Anika,” Nina murmured. 

“Sheriff Rotty is putting a search party together for Haskell’s boat. He recently bought a brand new Grady-White. Everyone’s going to be looking for it.”

“And we found it,” Kaz said.

“How’d the old man afford that?” Nina asked.

“And why did he have a safe full of kruge and guns?” Jesper added.

“Get us back to the Slat, this is something we should discuss in private,” Kaz said. He had his scheming face on again. The Dregs knew better than to argue with Kaz when he was scheming.

Once they reached the Slat and tied _The Wraith_ to the dock, Kaz led them inside. After everyone was seated in the living room, Kaz stepped to the center of the room.

“Per Haskell was a harbor rat that never had much money, and all of a sudden he has stacks of it and a brand new boat. How does someone get that much kruge so quickly?”

“He got a new job,” Matthias offered.

“He came into money after someone’s death?” Inej suggested.

“Drugs,” Nina said.

“No. Take into account he was sailing during a storm. The Stadwatch doesn’t use aerial surveillance or patrol during hurricanes, which means…” Kaz prompted.

“Smuggling,” Jesper guessed.

“Precisely. That boat could have a lot of contraband on it that we could retrieve.” 

“But we don’t know what the contraband could be. It belongs to someone else who could come looking for it,” Matthias argued.

“Per Haskell won’t be coming for it,” Kaz countered.

“But someone else might. It would be unwise to take anything from the wreck.”

“But Matthias, unwise decisions have good outcomes all the time,” Jesper grinned, fanning out the money Kaz had taken from the safe.

“We just need to find a way to get into the cargo hold of the wreck. Until then, we lay low, act normal,” Kaz said.

“Do we even know how to act normal?” Inej asked. The Dregs looked at each other.

“Want to throw a kegger?” Nina suggested.

*-*

“I’m sorry, the museum is closed.”

“This will only take a minute,” Deputy Specht assured. He entered the Ketterdam Museum and passed the curator. Specht was carrying the envelope full of pictures he had picked up at the motel earlier that day. The pictures contained an image that he knew he had seen before, but he wanted to be sure.

He stopped in front of the miniature replica of the _Jurda Parem_ , a ship that had been lost at sea more than 150 years ago. Legend had it that the _Jurda Parem_ had been carrying a fortune of gold when it sank. No one had ever recovered the gold or found the wreck of the ship.

Until now.

Specht slid the photos out of the envelope. Sure enough, the figurehead at the front of the ship on the model was an exact match to the picture of an angel holding a trumpet attached to the remains of a shipwreck.

Someone had found the _Jurda Parem_. But there was no way of knowing where it was from the pictures, so the mystery of its location remained.

*-*

“Nina, this was the best idea! Let’s get this party started!” Jesper cheered. He and Matthias were carrying a keg each, trailing behind the others as they headed toward the Exchange.

The Exchange was neutral territory on the beach between the Geldin District and the Barrel. It was a place where the Dregs, and others like them, and the Dime Lions, or the rich kids, came together to party with Pigeons, tourists that stayed in Ketterdam for a short time. News of a party always spread quickly, even without cell service, and it was the perfect way to blend in and lay low from the Stadwatch.

“Remember, we are here to throw suspicion off us. If anyone asks about Per Haskell or the hunt for his Grady-White, we know nothing. Try not to draw attention to yourselves,” Kaz said.

“Leave it to Kaz to take the fun out of a kegger,” Nina grumbled.

The Dregs made quick work of setting up, as others were already arriving. Kaz attached the hoses to the kegs and Inej filled cups. Nina and Jesper started greeting people, Matthias stayed close to Nina. More and more people filled the Exchange, and soon enough the party was in full swing. Kaz was taking great joy in denying the Dime Lions beer. Nina had dragged Matthias into dancing with her. Jesper was flirting with anyone who showed interest. Inej flitted between her friends, most likely because Kaz had asked her to keep tabs on them and make sure no one talked.

As the sun was setting, Nina found Jesper. “Isn’t that your merchling? What is he doing here?”

Jesper followed her finger and his gaze caught on a head of ruddy curls. Wylan Van Eck had come to their kegger. “He’s not mine, I just work on his dad’s boat sometimes,” Jesper corrected.

“That doesn’t mean you don’t wish he was yours,” Nina raised her eyebrows suggestively.

“As if that would ever happen. He’s the sole heir to his father’s company. What would he want with a guy like me?” Jesper sulked.

“He never comes to these things, and he doesn’t look very happy over there. Go talk to him.”

“No way! What would I even say?”

Nina marched over to the kegs and took a cup from Kaz. She brought it to Jesper. “Offer him a drink.” She shoved the cup into Jesper’s hands. After a few moments of frozen Jesper, she pushed him forward. “Go!”

Jesper caught himself before he face planted in the sand, took a breath, plastered on a winning smile, and made his way over to Wylan. The other boy was on the fringes of the party, close to the water. He looked supremely uncomfortable. 

“Hey, merchling, what brings you here? Decided to slum it with the rest of us?” Jesper asked.

Wylan jumped and turned towards Jesper. “Oh, hey. Jesper, right?” 

Jesper’s smile widened. “The one and only! I don’t think I’ve seen you at the Exchange before. First time?” Wylan nodded. Jesper remembered the cup in his hand. “Want a drink?”

“No, I’m fine, thank you,” Wylan blushed. 

“Not fancy enough for you?” Jesper teased. Wylan’s blush deepened.

“I’ll take that drink, Dreg,” a voice behind them called. Jesper turned around and found himself face to face with Eamon, one of the leaders of the Dime Lions. He was flanked by his friends Geels and Big Bolliger. 

Jesper’s grin turned smug. “I don’t remember asking you if you wanted something.”

“I’ll take it anyway.”

“Well it wasn’t for you. Maybe if you said pretty please, I might be more willing to give it to you.” 

As if he had been alerted, Kaz appeared next to Jesper. Matthias, Nina, and Inej were close behind. “Is there a problem, gentlemen?” Kaz asked. While the question had been polite, the sharp undertone was clear.

“No problem, Brekker, your boy here was just about to give me that drink,” Eamon said.

“You didn’t say pretty please,” Jesper smirked. Eamon reached over and knocked the drink into Jesper’s face. His smirk was replaced with a snarl and he moved to shove Eamon back. Jesper was stopped by Kaz’s cane against his chest.

“Keep your dog in line, Brekker. Dirty Dregs,” Eamon spat. 

“Why don’t you go get a fresh drink Eamon? I’m sure you will find something to your liking,” Kaz suggested coldly. 

“Think I might have found something to my liking after all,” Eamon said, eying Nina. “Hey baby, you want to get with a real man?”

Matthias was on Eamon in an instant. He hauled back and punched the Dime Lion square in the face. Never one to say no to a fight, Jesper hit Geels. Kaz and Wylan shouted for them to stop. Nina tried to pull Matthias away from Eamon. Big Bol moved to sneak up on Kaz only to rear back when Inej jumped on his back. Neutral territory had been shattered as an all out brawl broke loose. Partygoers were drawn to the fight, cheering as they formed a spectator’s ring. 

Jesper got in a well-placed blow to Geels’ gut, knocking the wind out of the other boy. After a punch to the face, Geels went down and stayed down. Jesper turned to see what other damage he could do. Kaz was helping Inej get up. It seemed Big Bol had dislodged Inej and had decided to help Eamon take out Matthias. While Matthias was distracted by aiming for Eamon, Big Bol came up behind him and threw him face first into the water. Matthias tried to get up, but Big Bol was holding him by the shoulders, keeping Matthias’s face underwater. Nina tried desperately to get to her boyfriend, but Eamon was holding her back. 

“Stop! Stop, you’re killing him!” Nina cried.

Jesper looked around wildly for anything that could help. As he whirled around, he felt the weight of something tucked into his waist band. He pulled out one of the pearl handled revolvers he had taken from the motel room earlier. He had completely forgotten about it, but he quickly fixed his grip on the revolver and shoved it into the back of Big Bol’s neck. 

“Yeah, you know what that is, don’t you? Let him go,” Jesper ordered.

Big Bol took his hands from Matthias’ shoulders and raised them in surrender. 

“Alright, party’s over, everyone get out of here!” Jesper shouted. He fired the gun into the air twice, and everyone scattered. Eamon let go of Nina and gestured for Big Bol and a reawakened Geels to follow him out. Jesper saw Wylan, shaking and white as a ghost, standing frozen where he had been when the fight started. Jesper, emboldened by the fight, winked at him. Wylan flushed and took off, following the crowds leaving the Exchange.

“What were you thinking? We were supposed to be laying low, not shooting a stolen weapon at a party full of witnesses,” Kaz hissed angrily. 

“I was saving Matthias’ life!” Jesper shouted back. 

“Can you two stop fighting for two seconds and help me?” Nina yelled. She was trying to drag Matthias out of the water, and Matthias didn’t look like he was helping. Jesper moved to Matthias and pulled one of his arms over his shoulder while Nina took the other. Between the two of them, they got Matthias out of the water and laid him down on his back in the sand. Nina bent over Matthias and sighed in relief when she felt him breathing. 

“We need to move, one of the Pigeons from the party probably called the Stadwatch,” Kaz said, eyes scanning the beach for any stragglers. 

“How’s Matthias?” Inej asked Nina. 

Matthias chose that moment to suddenly sit up, coughing violently. Nina rubbed his back and whispered soothing words to him as he worked to slow his breathing. “I… hate… those damn Dime Lions.” Matthias growled in between his gasps.

“I guess that’s what we get when we try to act normal,” Nina sighed. 

Five heads snapped up at the sound of sirens. “Time to go,” Kaz urged. Jesper and Nina helped Matthias to stand. The three of them followed Kaz and Inej as they made their way back to Kaz’s van. They piled in and waited. After several Stadwatch vehicles sped past, Kaz started the van and drove them all back to the Slat.

“Jesper, what were you doing talking to Wylan Van Eck?” Kaz questioned.

“He looked way out of his depth. I figured a familiar face might help. He knows me from working on his dad’s boat,” Jesper answered. 

Kaz narrowed his eyes, scheming face on in full force. “Do you have keys to Van Eck’s boat?”

“Yeah, he gave me a set so I didn’t have to bother anyone when I came to clean it. Why?”

“A boat the size of the _Red Laurel_ is bound to have some scuba gear on board.”

“He keeps a couple oxygen tanks and stuff.”

“Good. Go there tomorrow morning. We need to borrow his gear so we can find out what Per Haskell was smuggling.”

*-*

After spending the night at the Slat, Jesper took _The Wraith_ to Van Eck’s pier. Kaz had told him to get in, get the tanks, and get out. If anyone saw him, he just had to say he was cleaning the boat. 

As he pulled alongside the _Red Laurel_ , Jesper was relieved to see the dock was deserted. It was still early, so he wasted no time in securing _The Wraith_ to the dock. He disembarked and hurriedly boarded the bigger boat. He entered the cabin and climbed below deck, going straight to the supply closet. He grinned when he found two oxygen tanks and masks. Jesper loaded the tanks into the duffle bags he had brought with him, and made his way back up to the main deck.

As he rounded the corner at the top of the stairs, one of the bags hit the wall, letting out a clang as the tank made contact with the metal railing. A head shot up from the bench seat behind the table at the sudden noise. Jesper froze and caught the gaze of a wide, blue-eyed stare.

“Wylan?” Jesper gaped.

“Jesper! What are you doing here?”

“Cleaning the boat. What are you doing here?”

“I… it was late when I got back from the party, I didn’t want to get caught sneaking in,” Wylan stammered. 

“Ok. Well you can tell your dad everything’s good here. I’m just gonna take these tanks and top them off,” Jesper gestured to the bags he was carrying.

“Hey, are you and your friends ok? That fight was pretty nasty.”

“That was nothing. But you can tell your pals we’ll be watching.”

“They’re not my pals,” Wylan grumbled. 

Jesper scoffed. “Don’t all you rich kids stick together?”

“Can we drop the whole Dregs versus Dime Lions thing? It’s really stupid.”

“Easy for you to say, merchling,” Jesper sneered. He picked up the tanks and made his way back to _The Wraith_. Time to do some diving.

*-*

“Jesper, these tanks are empty. You stole empty tanks,” Kaz sighed. The Dregs were all aboard _The Wraith_ , floating above the wreck of Per Haskell’s Grady-White.

“This one has a quarter of a tank,” Inej corrected.

“Love it when a plan comes together,” Nina put in.

“Anybody know how to dive?” Matthias asked. He was met with silence.

“It’s easy enough, you use the mask and breathe while you swim,” Jesper said.

“But you can’t come up too fast, or it can kill you. The ship is about 30 feet down. Whoever’s diving will need to stop on the way back up at about 10 feet under, for two minutes,” Kaz instructed.

“I’ll dive,” Inej offered.

“Inej, the tank is almost bigger than you,” Nina pointed out. 

“I’ll do it,” Jesper said. “How far is ten feet?”

Nina stripped off her t-shirt, passing it to Inej. “Here, tie this to the anchor chain ten feet down so Jesper knows where to do his safety stop.” Inej nodded and disappeared below the surface. 

“Jesper, when you get down there, you’re going to use this tool to open the cargo hold. You push in, twist, and pull,” Kaz said. He passed Jesper a metal tool.

“Make sure you keep an eye on the tank gauge. You’ll need enough air to do your safety stop,” Matthias added.

Inej climbed over the side of the boat. “Nina’s t-shirt is ten feet down.”

“Ok, dive down, eye on the tank, twist and pull, ten feet, two minutes, got it,” Jesper listed. He got up, strapped the tank on, and stood by the side of the boat.

“No mourners,” Kaz said.

“No funerals,” Nina, Matthias, and Inej answered.

Jesper looked over his shoulder and flashed his friends a grin. “No funerals,” he confirmed. He pulled the mask over his face and jumped into the water.

Kaz, Inej, Nina, and Matthias watched as Jesper sank below the waves, and settled in to wait. With only a quarter tank of air, they knew it wouldn’t be too long. 

After a few minutes, a siren sounded. The Dregs looked up to see a Stadwatch ship coming towards them.

“This is just great,” Nina grumbled.

“Matthias, help me stash the other oxygen tank in the cargo hold,” Kaz ordered. 

“Just act normal,” Inej whispered.

“Yeah, because that worked so well last night,” Nina snorted.

The Stadwatch boat pulled up alongside _The Wraith_. “Evening,” Deputy Specht called. Deputy Holst passed them a line so they could link ships. Matthias took the rope and tied it off. 

“Evening, deputies. Is there a problem?” Kaz greeted.

“The marsh is closed today. What are you doing out here?” Specht asked.

“The marsh is closed? I had no idea,” Kaz said.

“Is it dangerous?” Nina feigned a wide-eyed look.

“A boat went down during the storm. The Stadwatch are conducting a search. Have you seen anything?” Specht questioned. The Dregs answered with a chorus of negatives. “Hold on, where’s your friend? Don’t you guys hang out with that Fahey kid?”

“He’s at work,” Inej answered.

“Holst, why don’t you climb aboard their boat, just check it out,” Specht suggested. Holst crossed over to _The Wraith_ and began to take a look around. Nina, Matthias, and Inej traded nervous glances while Kaz watched Holst coolly. 

“I only see three life vests, you should have one per person on board. You have another one?” Specht asked.

“It’s in the hold,” Inej said.

“I’ll need to see it,” Specht said.

“Of course. Matthias, show these fine officers the other life vest,” Kaz ordered. Matthias nodded. He moved over to the hold, using his body to block the officers’ view, and held up a fourth life jacket. 

Holst had made his way to the far side of _The Wraith_ and was peering into the water. After a minute, he turned and shook his head at Specht. “Alright, then, looks good. You let the Stadwatch know if you find anything,” Specht said. Holst crossed back over to the Stadwatch boat, and they drove off back the way they had come.

The Dregs raced to the side of the boat and searched for Jesper. “Do you think he’s out of air yet?” Nina asked.

“Jesper is always late, he’s fine,” Kaz said calmly, but he scanned the water with the others. A loud splash alerted the Dregs to Jesper resurfacing. They cheered, breathing a sigh of relief. 

“How was it?” Inej called. Jesper gave them a thumbs up and swam over to the boat. 

“Did you find anything?” Kaz questioned. A black bag was thrown onto the deck in answer.

Matthias and Nina pulled Jesper out of the water. They helped him take off the oxygen tank. “Was that a Stadwatch officer I saw standing on our boat?” Jesper asked.

“Yes, but we took care of it,” Inej said.

“Good thing they wear that awful purple uniform. I was waiting at the safety spot for way longer than two minutes. I ran out of air,” Jesper complained.

“I appreciate your dedication to the job,” Kaz said.

“Hey, there’s another boat over there,” Nina indicated. She pointed at a boat coming from the opposite direction that the Stadwatch had come. This boat was white, and there were two men on board.

“I don’t recognize that boat, do you?” Inej asked.

“Didn’t the Stadwatch say the marsh was closed? What are they doing out here?” Matthias wondered.

“We’re not sticking around to find out. Matthias, pull up the anchor. Inej, start the boat,” Kaz directed. The Dregs sprang into action. Before Matthias had properly stowed the anchor, Kaz peeled out into the marsh. 

“They’re following us,” Nina warned. 

“Go faster, Kaz!” Jesper said.

“Don’t tell me my business, Jesper,” Kaz growled. A rifle shot sounded, and all of the Dregs ducked. 

“Who are these guys?” Matthias asked. Another shot.

“And why are they shooting at us?” Nina cried.

The other boat stayed right on their tail, shots firing off with only enough time in between for the shooter to reload. Inej looked around the boat. She crawled over to the fishing net and rope that had been left onboard from yesterday’s supposed fishing trip. Inej threaded the rope through the net and stood as another shot rang out.

“Inej, get down!” Kaz yelled.

Inej tossed the net right into the path of their pursuers. The other boat drove right into it, and it must have got caught in the propeller because the engine cut out and the boat jerked to a halt. A few more shots followed the Dregs as they drove away.

“Woo! Nice one, Inej, that was insane!” Jesper crowed. Nina wrapped Inej in a big hug and Matthias nodded his approval.

“If those men were working with Per Haskell, then whatever was on that boat must be worth killing over,” Kaz mused. He sped back to the dock at the Slat, ready to find out just what Jesper had recovered.

When they arrived back at the Slat, Jesper jumped onto the pier and tied _The Wraith_ to it. The other Dregs got off the boat, Kaz holding the black bag from the wreck. He knelt down on the pier, the rest of the crew crowding around him. 

“What do you think is in there?” Inej asked.

“Jewels?” Nina suggested hopefully.

“Maybe it’s drugs, we could sell them and get rich,” Jesper said.

“Would you just open the bag already?” Matthias shouted. Everyone turned to him, surprised.

“Wow, Matthias, what a sudden outburst of emotion from you,” Nina snickered.

“We almost died for this, just open it,” Matthias grumbled.

“Yeah, Kaz, you are literally killing me with anticipation. And I almost died twice for this,” Jesper said.

Kaz unzipped the black bag. The only thing inside was a smaller black drawstring bag. He picked that up and pulled on the drawstring. A silver metal cannister was revealed. Kaz unscrewed the lid and peered inside. He frowned, and turned it over. A round, metal object on a chain slid onto his hand. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Nina sighed.

“They were shooting at us over a compass?” Inej asked.

Kaz looked at the compass in shock. Jesper sighed, “What, Kaz, it’s not like it’s worth anything.”

“This is my brother’s compass,” Kaz whispered. “It’s Jordie’s.”


	2. The Compass

At dawn the next day, Jesper took _The Wraith_ to return the scuba gear to Van Eck’s boat. His mind wandered to the night before as he sailed.

Kaz had disappeared into his office with the compass, and not even Inej could get him to come out. She had ended up using the window to climb in and talk to him. Jesper, Matthias, and Nina waited in the living room, unsure of what to do. Eventually the door opened, and Kaz came out into the living room, Inej behind him. 

“Why did Per Haskell have my brother’s compass?” Kaz asked.

Nina hesitated. “Are you sure it’s Jordie’s?”

“This compass has been in my family for generations. My father gave it to Jordie shortly before his passing. When Jordie vanished at sea, I couldn’t find the compass anywhere. He must have had it with him. So how did Per Haskell get it, and why? And what do the men shooting at us on the marsh have to do with this?” The Dregs stayed silent, not knowing how to answer. “Everyone get some sleep. Jesper, return the tanks early, we don’t want Van Eck to realize we took them. Inej and I will go talk to Anika. Maybe she knows something, or Per Haskell told her something. We need to know what’s going on.”

Jesper shook himself back to the present. He had made it to Van Eck’s dock. It was time to return the tanks. 

He tied off _The Wraith_ and picked up the oxygen tanks. No one seemed to be around, so Jesper crossed the dock to the _Red Laurel_ and climbed aboard. He opened the door to the cabin. After what had happened yesterday with Wylan, he checked the cabin for anyone who might be onboard. He was surprised to find Wylan sleeping on the boat again, this time on a couch. He tried sneaking past the sleeping boy, but Wylan rolled over and blinked up at him blearily.

“We have got to stop meeting like this,” Wylan said.

“Do you ever sleep in your house?” Jesper asked him.

“Not if I can help it,” Wylan muttered under his breath.

“What?” Jesper asked, unsure.

“Nothing,” Wylan cleared his throat. “I see you’re bringing back the tanks. Did you fill them?”

“No, I… the power is out, so the compressors weren’t working,” Jesper answered hurriedly.

Wylan raised his eyebrows. “So you’re sneaking onto my father’s boat at 6 in the morning to bring back empty tanks.” 

“That about covers it.” After a beat of silence, Jesper carried the gear down to the supply closet. He stowed the tanks the way he had found them and made his way back to the main deck. Wylan was still sitting up on the couch. Jesper walked past him but stopped short of the door. He turned to face Wylan. “Are you going to tell your dad about this?”

“I don’t know, should I?” Wylan countered.

“Look, please don’t. He could fire me because I didn’t fill them up or something. No offense, your dad’s kind of a dick.” Wylan snorted at that, but didn’t say anything. “Just, don’t tell him, ok?”

“What are you going to do? Pull a gun on me?”

“Hey, Big Bol was going to kill Matthias if I didn’t step in. Besides, I wouldn’t do anything to damage such a pretty face,” Jesper winked.

Wylan blushed, and rolled his eyes. “Relax, I’m not going to say anything. Your secret’s safe with me, Jesper.” He laid back down on the couch and closed his eyes.

Jesper rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “Uh, thanks. Good night, I guess? Or good morning?”

“Get out of here, Jesper,” Wylan smirked, but kept his eyes closed.

“Right, going.” Jesper rushed back to _The Wraith_. In his haste to get away from his confusing conversation with Wylan, he didn’t notice the person watching from the other end of the pier.

*-*

Inej felt like she hadn’t slept at all. After the discovery of the compass and being shot at in the marsh, she had found it difficult to quiet her thoughts. She thanked the Saints for guiding her aim with the net and stopping the other boat. Who knows what would have happened if they had been caught. 

In her restless tossing and turning, she had heard Jesper stumbling around at 5:30 to follow through with Kaz’s instructions. She knew not to expect him back anytime soon because he had asked if he could borrow her boat to check in with his dad after returning the tanks. 

After a few more hours, she heard the tell-tale thump of Kaz’s cane as he came into the living room. She had given up on rest a while ago, and turned to face him from her seat on one of the kitchen counters. She knew Kaz had gone back to his office instead of his room after their discussion last night. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all, but Inej wasn’t surprised. It had been almost a year since Jordie’s disappearance. She was sure that in light of this new clue, Kaz had stayed up all night with the pieces of this puzzle, trying to make them fit. From the frown on his face, it looked as though he had been unsuccessful.

“Ready to go talk to Anika?” Kaz asked. Inej nodded, and followed him silently out to his van. He started it up and drove toward the road. Neither of them tried to start a conversation. Kaz stared straight ahead, keeping his eyes on the road and a tight grip on the steering wheel.

Inej watched him out of the corner of her eye. While they turned a corner, the movement of the sunlight glinted off a chain sticking out of Kaz’s pocket. It was, no doubt, the compass.

“May I see it?” Inej asked. Without looking her way, Kaz reached into his pocket and passed Inej the compass. She took it carefully in her hands. She turned it over a few times before opening it. The compass was obviously old, but it had been well cared for over the years. There was barely a scratch on the compass and it was in perfect working condition. She glanced at Kaz. “It is strange that Per Haskell had this on his boat.”

“Why do you think we are going to talk to his niece?” Kaz quipped. He held his gloved hand out and she placed the compass on his palm. His fingers closed in a fist around the compass, and he tucked it back into his pocket.

“Don’t be too hard on Anika. She did just lose her uncle,” Inej reminded softly. Kaz again didn’t look at her, but he did nod once to show he had heard.

After a few more miles, Kaz turned onto a dirt driveway. The sign by the road read The Crow Club, the name Per Haskell had given his home. The driveway cut through a copse of trees, and the house itself backed out onto the water. Kaz stopped the van while they were still hidden from view by the trees. He got out of the car, and Inej followed suit. The two were walking the short distance to the front door when they heard a scream from inside.

“Where is it?” A man yelled, loud enough for Kaz and Inej to hear it outside.

“I don’t know!” A female voice wailed. It was Anika. Kaz held a finger to his lips, and they crept closer to the house. They could hear crashes from things getting thrown around inside.

“I don’t believe you!” A second male voice shouted. Kaz and Inej positioned themselves under a window on the side of the house. They listened as more things seemed to be thrown about.

“The compass wasn’t on the boat, Anika. Now where is it?” the first voice demanded.

“I told you I don’t know! Please,” Anika sobbed.

“We should help her,” Inej whispered. Kaz shook his head and slid closer to the back of the house. Inej moved to follow, but before they could round the corner, Kaz pushed her back. Two men were coming out of the house, marching furiously to a boat they had parked by Per Haskell’s tiny dock. 

“Those are the men who shot at us yesterday.” Kaz narrowed his eyes, working this piece of information into the ever-growing puzzle from the past few days. Kaz and Inej waited until the boat with the mysterious, murderous men sped off. Kaz led the way to the back door, which was hanging off one set of hinges. It had been kicked in.

Kaz moved through the house, maneuvering around the mess the men had left. Drawers had been pulled out, cupboards had been emptied, furniture overturned. They had obviously been looking for something, and if it was the compass from Per Haskell’s boat, Inej knew they had not found it.

“Here,” Kaz called. Inej found him standing by the door to the bathroom. Anika was inside, curled up in a protective ball on the bathroom floor. Inej knelt down beside the girl. She was shaken, but Inej didn’t see any signs of physical injury. 

Inej put her hand on Anika’s shoulder. The other girl flinched. “It’s all right, Anika the men are gone,” Inej whispered soothingly. “Are you all right? Should we call anyone? A doctor? The Stadwatch?”

“No, no, no, no Stadwatch, please, I’m fine,” Anika rambled, shaking her head and rocking her body back and forth.

“What do you know about those men?” Kaz asked. Inej glared at him, but Kaz was looking intently at Anika.

“They… they were looking for something,” Anika explained.

“Does it have anything to do with this?” Kaz pulled out the compass. Anika’s jaw dropped and she stopped rocking. “Do you know anything about this? This compass belonged to my brother. Per Haskell had it. Why?”

Anika shook her head, pleading eyes snapping to Kaz’s face. “My uncle didn’t have that. Don’t tell anyone you have that! You have to get out of here, leave!”

Inej stood and pushed Kaz out of the house. Anika’s panicked shouts followed them out, warning them not to tell anyone about the compass. Kaz stopped on the porch and turned to go back inside. Inej moved to step in front of the door. “No, Kaz.”

“But she knows something about the compass!” Kaz argued.

“She’s not in any state to talk about it now. She’s been through enough.”

Kaz and Inej stared each other down for a minute, waiting for the other to back down. Kaz eventually nodded once and turned to go back to the van. Inej felt bad for leaving Anika like that, but it seemed that the sooner they left with the compass, the better.

*-*

Eamon, Geels, and Big Bolliger were walking along the shore in the Geldin District. They were discussing the topic that had been all they could talk about since the party at the Exchange. They wanted revenge.

“I just can’t get it out of my head. It’s on repeat, you know?” Big Bol said.

“He had a gun to your head, safety off!” Geels exclaimed.

“Damn Dregs,” Big Bol cursed.

“You should get a gun, fight fire with fire,” Geels suggested.

“Oh, don’t worry, we’re gonna get ‘em back,” Eamon assured. “I’m making it a little project of mine.”

The Dime Lions were cut off by a small figure crossing their path. Wylan Van Eck had just gotten off the pier and was headed up to his house.

“Watch where you’re going, merchling,” Geels sneered. Wylan stammered an apology and raced away. 

“That kid is weird,” Big Bol commented.

“He just thinks he’s better than us because his daddy’s the richest man in Ketterdam,” Eamon said.

“Hello, boys!” a voice called out, followed by barking. “Rufus, no, no bark.”

The Dime Lions turned around to face Alys Van Eck. She was walking a tiny dog. The boys nodded in acknowledgement.

“Did you just come from Wylan’s boat party?” Alys asked with a smile. “He was out there all night. I saw someone leaving early this morning, so I figured he must be having a party!”

“Who did you see this morning?” Eamon asked. As far as anyone knew, Wylan didn’t have friends.

“That nice boy who cleans the boat. Tall, dark, very charming. I think his name is Justin? Jasper?”

“Jesper Fahey was here this morning?” Geels questioned. “What was he doing?”

“Well, he does clean the boat for Jan. I was walking Rufus this morning so he could go tinkle. The hole in our fence hasn’t been patched up yet, so I’ve been taking him out on a leash. I almost lost him the other day…”

“But you saw Jesper?” Eamon prompted.

“Oh, yes, he brought some scuba gear back, and he was inside the boat for a while, and then he left,” Alys said brightly.

“Thanks, Mrs. Van Eck, you’ve been very helpful,” Eamon smiled. The Dime Lions walked away, heading back down the shore. “Well, first part of the revenge on the Dregs can be getting Fahey fired.” Big Bol and Geels high fived, and Eamon’s smile had turned into a sneer.

*-*

Kaz and Inej arrived back at the Slat just as Jesper pulled up to the dock in _The Wraith_. He tied off the boat and jogged to catch up with them. Nina and Matthias were waiting for them on the deck of the house. 

“So, what happened?” Nina called.

“I returned the tanks and then went home for a bit. Da says hi, and if we’re not too busy he said he might need help with deliveries later,” Jesper said. The Dregs often helped Colm make delivery runs, especially after a big storm when he had a lot of orders. 

“Glad to hear your morning was uneventful,” Kaz said.

“What happened with Anika? How’s she doing after her uncle’s death?” Nina asked.

“She’d be doing a lot better if men didn’t break into her house and tear it apart,” Kaz remarked.

“Is she all right?” Matthias questioned.

“She’ll be fine,” Kaz waved off their concern. “She wasn’t very helpful, though.”

“Kaz,” Inej warned. She turned to the others. “It was the same men, the ones who shot at us yesterday. Kaz and I went to Anika’s house and we heard shouting. Those men were looking for the compass. They couldn’t find it, so they left. We went in and talked to Anika. She was badly shaken, but the men didn’t hurt her.”

“She freaked out when she saw the compass, though. She knows something, but Inej wouldn’t let me talk to her,” Kaz growled.

“She was in no condition to answer questions.”

“So, wait, you saw the guys that shot at us?” Jesper asked.

“Yes. They must have fixed their boat after Inej damaged it, because they left Anika’s in the same boat from yesterday.”

“And you’re sure they were looking for Jordie’s compass? Why would they want it? It’s a piece of junk. No offence, Kaz,” Nina said.

Kaz pulled the compass out of his pocket, turning it over and over in his hand. Suddenly, he stopped, and looked down at the compass. He began twisting the back of the compass until a hidden compartment was revealed. 

“Woah, what just happened?” Jesper asked, getting up to get closer to Kaz. The others crowded around as well. “Is it supposed to do that?”

“Old compasses like this sometimes had compartments to put hidden messages in them. Jordie told me about it once, but I never saw him open it,” Kaz explained. 

“Well, is there a hidden message?” Nina prompted.

“The compartment was empty, but look.” Kaz showed them the lid to the secret compartment. A word had been etched into the inside of the lid.

“Is that from Jordie?” Matthias asked.

“It has to be. Look at the ‘R’, Jordie is the only person I know who writes their R’s like that,” Kaz said.

“It says Rietveld,” Inej pointed out.

“What does that mean?” Nina wondered.

Kaz pushed past them into the house. They followed him into the office that he used to share with Jordie. He went to Jordie’s side of the room, which Kaz had left untouched since his brother had vanished. Jordie had used the office to store information he had gathered on several subjects. He had a board dedicated to their family tree and boxes upon boxes of so-called evidence about the _Jurda Parem_. Jordie had always been a bit of a dreamer. He used to tell Kaz that he would find the famous shipwreck one day, and they’d be set for life with the gold that had gone down with the ship.

Kaz started digging through the boxes. “Look for anything that mentions ‘Rietveld,’” Kaz instructed. The others picked a box and went through them. 

Jesper had taken a box over to Kaz’s desk to look through it, but the sound of a car engine outside made him look up. A black truck had pulled up outside, and two men were getting out. One looked inside Kaz’s van as they passed. “Uh, guys? Someone’s here,” Jesper announced. The others joined him at the window. Inej gasped and Kaz let out a curse.

Nina’s eyes widened at their response. “Are those the guys who shot at us? The guys from Anika’s?”

Kaz turned to Jesper. “Where did you put the revolvers?”

“I stashed them under the porch.”

“Seriously? When we actually need guns?” Nina cried.

“Hey, you guys yelled at me for having them at the Exchange!” Jesper defended.

“Brekker!” a voice shouted from outside. They heard a door slam, and footsteps sounded on the floorboards of the living room. The men were in the house. 

“Kaz, what do we do?” Nina hissed.

Kaz pulled the window up. “Everyone out.” Jesper scrambled out first, then turned to help Nina down. Matthias followed, then Kaz, and finally Inej. She closed the window on her way out.

“They’re parked too close to the van, they could see us if we hide in there. Get to _The Wraith_ ,” Kaz said.

They raced down to the dock, climbed onboard _The Wraith_ , and crouched by the side of the boat. Jesper reached a hand toward the ropes to release the boat from the dock. Kaz’s cane tapped his hand, and he withdrew it. 

“Not yet, I want to see what they do,” Kaz said. He raised his head so he could look over the side of the boat, watching the Slat. After a while, the two men came out of the house, boxes in hand. They were Jordie’s boxes of research about the _Jurda Parem_. Kaz gritted his teeth, angry that the men were stealing from him. 

One of the men looked around Kaz’s yard, and Kaz saw his eyes fall on the boat. He ducked back down, and the others held their breath.

“Miggson, come on, we gotta bring this back,” a voice called. 

A few more minutes passed, and they heard the truck start up and drive away. The Dregs let out the breath they had been holding in a sigh of relief. 

“Thank Djel they’re gone,” Matthias said.

“But they took Jordie’s research with them,” Kaz seethed.

*-*

Jan Van Eck and Pekka Rollins were headed into Bayurhill after a long day of assessing property damage at their construction sites after Hurricane Alina. Before they could get inside, they were stopped by three boys calling from the driveway.

“Mr. Rollins! Mr. Van Eck!” 

Jan and Pekka turned. “Are those some of your boys?” Jan asked. Pekka nodded. The two men waited for the boys at the door.

“What do you want, Eamon?” Pekka questioned.

“Well, sir, we just came to warn Mr. Van Eck about something,” Eamon said.

“And what could you possibly have to tell me?” Jan asked.

“Sir, there’s a Dreg in your employ that you should watch out for.”

“Oh?”

“It’s Jesper Fahey, sir. We ran into your wife earlier and she told us she saw him sneaking around your boat with some scuba gear. He hangs out with a bad crowd. In fact, just the other night, he was firing a gun at a party at the Exchange,” Eamon informed.

“I see. Thank you for your warning, I’ll be sure to talk with Mr. Fahey,” Jan dismissed. The three Dime Lions turned and walked away. “Interesting.”

“Fahey hangs out with the Brekker kid. If they’ve got guns, they might be a bigger problem than we thought,” Pekka said.

“Tell your boys to keep an eye on the Dregs. I don’t want to get the Stadwatch involved just yet, so we will just have to be discreet,” Jan answered. “We are too close to our goal, and I will be damned if I lose to a gang of teenagers.”

If it was a fight Brekker wanted, a fight he would get.

*-*

The Dregs were in Kaz’s van, heading for a destination only known to Kaz. After the invasion at the Slat, Kaz announced he was going to follow up on a lead. No one wanted to stay behind, so they went along for the ride. In true Kaz Brekker fashion, he refused to fill the others in on where they were going. He glared at the road ahead, angry that he had so many questions and no answers.

“Kaz, do you know anything about Rietveld? Why would Jordie hide that word in your family’s compass?” Jesper asked. Inej, Matthias, and Nina all looked at Jesper. “What? We’re all thinking it! I would like to know why these guys are coming after us.”

“Well, Jesper, if you must know, Jordie probably put the clue in the compass because it’s a family heirloom and he knew it would get back to me.”

“But, like, how did he know that?” Nina put in.

“And why are these men after it? Did Jordie know them?” Matthias wondered. 

“And what does it have to do with Jordie’s _Jurda Parem_ research?” Inej added.

“You still didn’t tell us if you know what Rietveld means,” Jesper reminded.

Kaz slammed on the breaks and turned his glare on his passengers. “Did it ever occur to you that I don’t know the answers either?”

“I never thought I’d hear you say you don’t know something. Say it again. Wait, let me record it,” Nina said.

“What I do know is that my brother, who has been missing for almost a year, left me a clue as to what happened. I would like to find out. So, if you’re done asking stupid questions, can we continue to our destination?” Kaz said.

“Which is where?” Jesper asked. Once again, all eyes landed on him.

Kaz turned his gaze back to the road and started driving. After a moment, he answered. “Rietveld Lighthouse. It was Jordie’s favorite place in Ketterdam.”

The rest of the ride to the lighthouse was silent. No one wanted to push their luck with an angry Kaz. Eventually, Kaz stopped the van by the entrance to Rietveld Lighthouse. Everyone moved to get out, but Kaz stopped them. “Only Inej and I are going in. Stay here with the van. If we get separated, take the van back to the Slat.” With that, Kaz got out of the van. Inej shrugged at the others before following.

Kaz and Inej entered the lighthouse. “What are we looking for, Kaz?” Inej asked softly.

“I’ll know it when I see it,” Kaz replied. He started up the spiral staircase, cane clanging against the metal. Inej followed, footsteps silent.

At the top of the stairs, they were met with a closed door. A sign by the door read ‘Hoede, Lighthouse Keeper’. Kaz knocked. A few moments passed, and then the door was opened by a middle-aged man.

“What are you doing here?” The man, presumably Hoede, questioned. 

“We came to see the lighthouse,” Kaz answered.

“Lighthouse is closed,” Hoede grunted. The door slammed in Kaz’s face.

“Actually, I came to talk about the _Jurda Parem_ ,” Kaz called.

A minute passed, and then the door reopened. “Then you’ve come to the right place,” Hoede declared. He left the door open and walked further into the lighthouse. 

“How did you know that would work?” Inej asked.

“Educated guess. The men took Jordie’s _Jurda Parem_ research from the house, so I figured it had to be involved somehow,” Kaz shrugged. They followed the strange man through the door.

“I know more about the _Jurda Parem_ than anyone in Ketterdam,” Hoede told them proudly. “The ship disappeared in 1829 on its way across the True Sea.”

“With 30 million in gold on board,” Kaz said.

“That’s right! Bit of an expert yourself?”

“You could say that.”

“Then follow me. I want to show you something.” Hoede led them out onto the viewing deck. “I’ve been working thirty years up here in the lighthouse. The view never changed, until two days ago. Point’s almost gone. Another storm like Alina, it’ll take the lighthouse, and I’ll go down with her.” Kaz quirked an eyebrow at that. “Now the trick to knowing where the _Jurda Parem_ is, is knowing which end of the storm it was on, north or south. Most believe she was on the south end. Now, if she was, the bands from the hurricane would’ve pushed her back out to sea. But I don’t believe that. No, I reckon she was on the north end of the eye.”

“Which means the bands would have pushed the ship toward the shore,” Kaz concluded.

“That’s right. According to my calculations, the _Jurda Parem_ is about ten miles that-away.” Hoede pointed, and then beckoned Kaz and Inej back inside to show them a map of the island. “Now, this is where the point used to be,” he indicated. He moved his finger to point at a different part of the map. “And this is where the _Jurda Parem_ should be, about a thousand feet down.”

“That’s what Jordie used to say,” Kaz mused. He pulled the compass from his pocket. “Hoede, do you recognize this? My brother left it for me. It says Rietveld on it in his handwriting. If you know anything, tell me.”

Hoede’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything more. He moved to walk away, but Kaz stopped him with his cane. 

“Look, I have been shot at and had my home invaded. I’m sick of not knowing what’s going on. Jordie told me to talk to you, and I’m here. So, tell me, did he give you a message? Did he leave something here for me?”

Hoede stared at Kaz before pulling a walkie-talkie from his belt. “Joost, I’ve got two kids up here. I think they’re on drugs. Send backup.” 

Kaz used the crow’s head on his cane to knock the walkie-talkie from Hoede’s hand. “Kaz!” Inej admonished. 

“We have to go,” Kaz growled. He pushed past Inej and made his way back to the main staircase. They heard Hoede retrieve the walkie-talkie and call for backup again, so they picked up the pace.

When they made it to the bottom of the stairs and stepped out into the sun, they saw the van peel away from the lighthouse. The sound of sirens could be heard, and they were getting closer. 

“Come, this way,” Inej pointed around the back of the lighthouse toward the beach. Kaz nodded and limped off ahead. Inej sighed. 

“I heard that,” Kaz called over his shoulder. 

“You were supposed to,” Inej answered. 

“Go on, Inej, spit it out.”

“I’m sorry, Kaz. I’m not sure what you expected to find, but I know it wasn’t a strange man spinning tales.”

“There might be a bit more to it than that.”

Inej stopped. “You mean you figured something out?”

“Not entirely.”

“Must you be so secretive? You have so many walls and guards up, no one can get through.”

Kaz turned to her. “You have.”

Inej shook her head. “You still have your armor on.”

“Inej, you can go anywhere, get into anything. It shouldn’t surprise you that I’ve come to need you near.”

Inej drew in a breath and met Kaz’s gaze. Kaz took a step forward. He reached for her hand.

“Kaz?”

“Brekker!” A voice shouted from down the beach. 

He held her hand for barely a second, but when he dropped it there was still a weight in her hand. Inej looked down and found that Kaz had slipped her the compass.  
“Don’t let them see that,” Kaz whispered to her. He turned to face the newcomers. “Specht. Sheriff Rotty. What business?”

“Heard you were in the lighthouse with Hoede. He says you assaulted him,” Rotty said.

“Assault? Rotty, you know me better than that. When I assault someone, I don’t leave them able to snitch,” Kaz smirked.

“Kaz,” Inej said lowly.

“We just had a conversation. Inej was there the whole time, ask her if you don’t believe me.”

“We talked about shipwrecks,” Inej told the officers.

“Well, we checked Hoede out, he’ll be fine. Saved me the trouble of having to hunt you down, though,” Rotty said.

“Hunting me down? What else have I allegedly done?” Kaz asked.

“Seems you’ve got a thing about shipwrecks. You and your friends found a shipwreck yesterday. I think you found a compass onboard.”

“Shipwreck? Sheriff, I can assure you…”

“Save it, we know you were on the marsh yesterday, remember?” Specht said.

“Well, sure, we were on the marsh. But I think I might recall coming across a shipwreck,” Kaz answered.

Sheriff Rotty sighed. “Kaz, we’re just trying to help you. There are some dangerous people trying to get their hands on that compass. If you give it to me, I can keep it, and you, safe.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kaz denied. “Search me if you like, I don’t have a compass.”

Rotty stared at Kaz, and when he refused to back down, sighed again. “All right. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Rotty and Specht turned back toward the lighthouse and walked away.

“Maybe we should have told him, Kaz. Sheriff Rotty is a good man, he’s always looked out for us. If he knows something about the men who keep coming after us, he might be able to help,” Inej said.

“On the contrary, Inej dear, I think that the compass is exactly where it belongs. Thank you for keeping it safe for me.” Kaz held it up by the chain before sticking it back in his pocket. Inej hadn’t even noticed he’d taken it from her. “Come along, we have a long walk ahead of us since the others absconded with my van.”

Inej frowned, but followed. The momentary drop of defenses had passed, and it left Inej wondering if she would ever understand Kaz Brekker.

*-* 

Jesper asked Matthias and Nina to drop him off at Fifth Harbor, the docks where he worked cleaning boats. He didn’t have a set schedule, he would just stop in and see who had left their boats to be cleaned. He had a few private jobs, like the _Red Laurel_ for the Van Eck family, but most of his time working was spent here. He hadn’t checked in since Hurricane Alina had hit, so he figured he should stop by.

“Perfect timing. Mr. Van Eck is looking for you, he’s in the main office,” one of the other cleaners called to him. Jesper frowned. Jan Van Eck never brought his boat to the public docks to be cleaned, so this couldn’t be anything good. 

Jesper made his way to the office. He saw Van Eck talking with a supervisor. “…cannot be trusted!” Van Eck was saying when Jesper walked in. Definitely not good.

“You wanted to see me, Mr. Van Eck?” Jesper asked.

“Ah, Mr. Fahey. It has come to my attention that you have been abusing your position as a boat cleaner to steal from me,” Jan Van Eck accused.

“What? I didn’t steal anything from you!” 

“I was told that you were seen taking scuba gear from my boat. I checked them myself, the oxygen tanks are empty.”

“I was going to fill them, but the compressors were off because the power is out,” Jesper explained.

“In any case, you should not be taking things from boats without permission,” Van Eck said. “I can not have someone working for me that I do not trust. Therefore, I need to ask for your copy of the keys to my boat. You are fired.”

Jesper balled his hands into fists and opened his mouth to argue. The supervisor shook his head at Jesper and gave him a pointed look. Jesper reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys, giving Van Eck the ones he had asked for. Without another word, Jan Van Eck left the office.

Jesper turned to the supervisor. “You know I didn’t steal from him, right?”

“You’re a good kid, Fahey, and I believe you. But Jan Van Eck is a powerful enemy to have. He said if I keep you on, he’ll spread the word to other boat owners that we’re a bunch of thieves. I can’t lose my business. I’m afraid I’ll have to let you go.”

Jesper clenched his jaw in fury. “Fine,” he muttered, and left the office. As he was walking down the docks, he saw Wylan walking towards him.

“Hi, Jesper,” Wylan waved. Jesper purposefully slammed his shoulder into the smaller boy, knocking him back. “Hey! What was that for?”

“Your secret’s safe with me, huh?” Jesper turned back and glared.

“What are you… you mean this morning? I didn’t tell anyone!”

“Oh, yeah? Because your dad knew all about it. I just got fired, Wylan! And that might not mean much to you, merchling, but some of us need jobs to survive.” Jesper turned around and started to walk away. He was stopped by Wylan grabbing his wrist.

“I swear I didn’t tell him, Jesper,” Wylan whispered.

Jesper yanked his arm from Wylan’s grasp and turned to face him again. “You know, I knew your dad was a prick. I didn’t realize you were just like him,” Jesper sneered. Wylan’s face filled with hurt. Jesper took off before he could say anything else.

*-*

It was late afternoon when Kaz and Inej made it back to the main part of town. Inej separated from Kaz when they got close to her house, saying that her parents would be expecting her. Kaz was on his way back to the Slat, mind sorting through the pieces of information he had gathered over the last few days. His bad leg was throbbing. After all of the walking he had done today, he wasn’t surprised.

He was approaching an intersection when he saw a familiar black truck cross the street in front of him. The windows were tinted, so he couldn’t tell who was driving, but the sight of it was enough to send him ducking into an alley. He waited there for a minute, before poking his head out and checking the road. The black truck was gone. Kaz exited the alley and resumed his walk home, only to be cut off by the truck reversing into the intersection. It pulled up next to Kaz, and the passenger window was rolled down. It was the same two men who had been plaguing Kaz at every turn. 

Kaz took off before either men could say anything. He knew he couldn’t outrun a truck with his bad leg, so he had to find another way. The Barrel wasn’t much, but it was’ Kaz’s home, and he knew it better than anyone. There was another alley down a half a block that would be too small for the truck to get through. It led to the next street, which had a few shops on it. He could go into one, sneak out the back, and hopefully lose his pursuers in the process. 

He had just turned into the alley when he heard a truck door open and shut. “BREKKER!” one of the men yelled after him. He heard the truck speed off, and footsteps echoed down the alley, following him. 

He made it to the next street and crossed it. He ducked into the first shop door he came across, which was a little antique shop. He made his way through the aisles to the back of the store, finding a door that read employees only. Kaz went through it and found himself in a small break room. There was another door, which led to an alley behind the store. Kaz went down the alley and came out on another road. He moved to cross it, but stopped short when he was almost run over.

Of course, it was the black truck.

Kaz let out a curse and ran around the side of the car, looking for another alley to go down. His on-foot pursuer had just come around the corner and was running after him. Kaz turned down the first side street he found and stopped. He turned around, waited, and when the man barreled around the corner Kaz swung his cane into his gut. The man fell to the ground, wind knocked out of him. 

“I don’t appreciate you following me around. What do you want?” Kaz hissed.

The truck screeched to a halt beside Kaz and the fallen man. The driver got out and walked towards Kaz. 

“I think you know what we want kid. And you’re going to give it to us,” the second man said.

Just then, a purple vehicle pulled up behind the truck, sirens turned on. Sheriff Rotty got out of the car. “Is there a problem?” he called. 

At the sight of the sheriff, the driver reached down and helped his partner off the ground. The two of them went to the truck and sped off.

Rotty approached Kaz. “You ok?” Kaz nodded. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

Kaz followed Rotty to his cruiser and climbed into the passenger seat. Rotty put the car in gear and drove towards the Slat. They rode in silence until they reached Kaz’s driveway. The van was there waiting for him. The others had returned it as instructed.

“So, how’s it all working out for you?” Rotty asked. Kaz stayed silent. “Look, it’ll be a whole lot safer if you give it to me than anybody else.”

Kaz looked over at Rotty, eyes narrowed, considering his options. He took the compass out of his pocket and passed it over wordlessly. He got out of the car and went inside to find the Slat still a mess from the morning’s unwelcome visitors. Kaz sighed as he took in the state of his home. He wanted nothing more than to take the weight off his leg and rest after the events of the day. But there was still work to be done.

He started by picking up all the trash that had been thrown about. Pizza boxes and empty beer bottles were put in the trash cans. The pillows were returned to the pullout sofa. Kitchen drawers and cabinets were closed. 

Once he was satisfied with the main room, he headed into the office he had shared with his brother. Most of the boxes pertaining to the _Jurda Parem_ had been taken. He crossed to his desk and straightened everything up. When he had nothing left to clean, he turned to Jordie’s side of the room. His eyes landed on the family tree Jordie had kept on the wall. He walked over to it and ran his hand over Jordie’s name. What had his brother been trying to tell him?

As he turned away, another name caught Kaz’s eye. Olessa R. Brekker, his great-grandmother. She had died before Kaz was born, but he remembered going to her grave with his grandparents. He and Jordie had thought it was funny that their great-grandmother Brekker was laid to rest in a crypt with the wrong name. Their grandparents had tried to explain maiden names to them, but they were too young to understand. They had made jokes about it for years. How had someone managed to put a Brekker in the Rietveld crypt?

Kaz made his way back out to the van and drove. Nina’s house was the closest, so he stopped there and honked the horn. He saw the curtains move aside as someone looked out, and then Matthias and Nina were coming out of the house. He took off as soon as they were in and repeated the process at Jesper’s house.

“This had better be good. I got fired from Fifth Harbor and I’m not in the mood to wait in the car during another wild goose chase,” Jesper grumbled.

“The lighthouse was a dead end, but I know where Jordie wants me to go,” Kaz informed.

“You got fired from Fifth Harbor? What happened?” Nina asked.

“When I went to take the tanks from Van Eck’s boat, I ran into Wylan. And then when I took the tanks back, Wylan was there again. His dad found out that I took the gear and he fired me.”

“Why was Wylan on the boat?” Matthias wondered.

“Don’t know and don’t care.”

“You didn’t tell me you had been seen,” Kaz said.

“I thought Wylan and I had an understanding. He swears he didn’t tell, but I don’t know who else could have done it.” Jesper rubbed his hands over his face.

“It doesn’t sound like you were that careful,” Kaz remarked.

“Shut up, Kaz.”

They pulled up to Inej’s house. Kaz stopped the car and turned to his passengers. “I’ll be right back.”

“I thought you said we wouldn’t have to wait in the car,” Jesper whined.

“I see how it is. You just honk and expect us to come out but Inej gets an engraved invitation,” Nina put in.

Kaz left the others squabbling in the van and walked over to Inej’s door. A few minutes after he knocked, Inej answered.

“What business?” Inej asked.

“Rietveld isn’t a place,” Kaz said.

“What?”

“Rietveld was a person. My great-grandmother to be exact. Olessa Rietveld Brekker, Rietveld was her maiden name. Jordie was trying to tell me that he hid something in her crypt.”

“Careful, Kaz. If you keep talking, I’ll learn all of your secrets.”

A hint of a smile crossed Kaz’s face. He turned to go back to the van. “Are you coming?” Inej called to her parents to let them know she was going out and went to the passenger side of the van.

“So where are we going?” Nina asked.

“Black Veil Cemetery,” Kaz answered. 

“At night?” Matthias questioned.

“Aw, Matthias is scared!” Jesper cackled.

“I’m not scared, I’m superstitious. I don’t want to disrespect the dead,” Matthias scowled.

“We won’t be disrespecting anyone. We just need to pay a special someone a visit,” Kaz said.

When they reached Black Veil, Kaz leaned over and took a flashlight out of the glove box. The Dregs got out of the van and entered the cemetery. Kaz led them straight to the Rietveld family crypt. He nodded to his companions and gestured for them to try the door. Matthias and Jesper shoved at the door to the crypt, but it would not budge. Kaz frowned.

“It’s not moving,” Matthias grunted.

Inej noticed a hole in the wall of the crypt near the top of the door. “Kaz, look up there. I can fit through, I’ll go in,” Inej told him. 

Kaz turned to her. “Are you sure?”

“You deserve to know the truth about your brother. If you really think you will find answers here, I’ll go in.”

Kaz looked from Inej to the hole, back to Inej. He nodded. “Matthias, give Inej a boost.”

“What am I looking for?” Inej asked.

“You’ll know when you see it,” Kaz replied similarly to how he had in the lighthouse, only this time trusting Inej to be his eyes.

Matthias stood with his back to the wall and held his cupped hands low. Inej stepped into his cupped hands, climbed onto his shoulders and through the hole. She dropped gracefully to the floor of the crypt.

“Did you find anything?” Jesper called.

“Pass me a flashlight, I can’t see anything,” Inej said.

Matthias reached up and dropped a flashlight through the hole. The Dregs waited outside, listening for anything from Inej.

“Saints,” Inej breathed. “Kaz, I think you were right.”


	3. The Search

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags have been updated, but a warning for verbal child abuse in this chapter. The conversation between Wylan and Jan is typical for SOC canon, but I'd rather be up front about any possible triggers.  
> Thank you to everyone who has read so far!   
> I still own nothing.

Something flew out of the hole that Inej had gone through. Kaz caught it before it could hit the ground. It was an envelope with the words ‘For Kaz’ written on it in Jordie’s handwriting. 

“Well, it’s not gold,” Nina sighed.

“But it is from Jordie,” Kaz said.

Inej appeared in the hole and jumped down to join the others. “That’s all I could find,” she told them.

“Someone’s coming!” Jesper whispered. Sure enough, a set of headlights was headed their way. The Dregs all ducked behind the crypt. They switched off their flashlights.

“Can you see who it is?” Matthias asked.

“I swear if it’s those two guys who keep trying to kill us…” Nina started. 

Jesper shushed her and peered around the side of the crypt. The figures were in shadows, so he couldn’t see who they were. But he did see that they were carrying shovels. He reported this to the others.

“Hell no, I am not dying in a cemetery,” Nina exclaimed. She grabbed Matthias’s hand and took off running for Kaz’s van. Jesper, Inej, and Kaz were right behind them, Kaz holding tight to the envelope Inej had found. They climbed over the gate at the entrance to the cemetery and piled into the van.

Kaz drove them back to the Slat to open the envelope. They got out of the van, went inside, and gathered around the kitchen table. Everyone watched as Kaz looked down at the envelope. 

“Well?” Jesper prompted.

Kaz glared at him for a moment, before looking back at the envelope in his hands. He carefully pulled on the seal, as if worried the contents would break if he was too rough. Once the envelope was open, he looked inside to see the edge of a paper sticking out. He took the paper out and unfolded it, setting it on the table in front of him. There were three pages. The first was a copy of the blueprints of the _Jurda Parem_. The second was a complete list of passengers. The third paper was a map, and a big, dark X was marked on it. Some numbers were scrawled next to the X.

“X marks the spot,” Nina said in awe. 

“Are the numbers coordinates?” Inej asked. Kaz nodded. He looked back to the envelope and shook out the rest of the contents. A small black device slid onto the table.

“What’s that?” Matthias asked.

“I think it’s a tape recorder,” Nina said.

Sure enough, it was a recorder with a tape inside. Kaz pressed play, and everyone held their breath.

“Hey Kaz, it’s me. I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. I know you never believed me when I said I would find the _Jurda Parem_ , and I think deep down I never believed I would find it either. Hopefully, we’re listening to this together, sitting in our brand new Mercher house and enjoying the good life. If not, and you find this for less than optimal reasons… Well, that’s what the map is for. There she is! The wreck of the _Jurda Parem_. If something happens to me, finish what I started. Go for the gold, Kaz. I love you. See you on the other side.”

The silence when the tape ended was deafening. All eyes were glued to the recorder, waiting to see if anything else was on it. After five minutes of nothing, Kaz pushed away from the table. 

“Holy shit, Jordie found it,” Jesper whispered.

“Not the time, Jes,” Inej said. They all winced at the sound of the front door slamming. Nina, Matthias, and Jesper looked to Inej. She nodded and went out to talk to Kaz.

After a half hour, Kaz and Inej had not come back inside. Jesper went to the window to look out into the yard. He spotted them sitting on the dock, looking out to the water. Jesper looked back to Nina and Matthias. The three of them silently agreed to go out and see what was happening. 

Kaz and Inej were just sitting on the dock. No one said anything when the others joined them. After a moment, Jesper couldn’t take the quiet. “How much did you say was on the _Jurda Parem_?”

“Thirty million in gold,” Kaz answered.

“Ok, let’s talk splits. Before we say evenly, may I remind you that not only am I irresistibly charming, I also have the means to protect us from those maniacs that keep following us,” Jesper said.

“You have no proper training with the guns, and therefore should not use them,” Matthias said.

“Still, I think that’s worth an extra five percent,” Jesper argued.

“Please, if anything the rest of us are getting an extra five percent for the emotional trauma of you having guns,” Nina snorted.

“What will you do with your six million, Matthias?” Inej cut in. Jesper pouted at the amount.

“I’ll prepay for college first, and clear up any debts,” Matthias answered.

“That’s no fun. I’m buying all of the Waffle Houses in the area so I can own every waffle and no one else can eat them,” Nina said. Inej and Jesper laughed. “What about you, Inej?”

“I’m not sure. I doubt I’ll need that much money. I could donate to some worthy charities. Perhaps I should buy one Waffle House, so I know I’ll still have waffles,” Inej teased.

“I suppose I could share some waffles with you,” Nina laughed and bumped shoulders with Inej.

“Ooh, I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to buy a mansion in Geldin District and go full Mercher. I’ll get a statue of myself made because the world deserves more of my glorious self,” Jesper said.

“What will you do with your six million, Kaz?” Inej asked quietly.

Kaz looked up at them, a smirk slowly sliding onto his face. “To going full Mercher. No mourners.”

“No funerals!” The others cheered.

*-*

The next morning found the Dregs aboard _The Wraith_. Kaz had insisted that he needed the Internet to look up the coordinates that Jordie had left for him. Since most of the island was still without power after Hurricane Alina, they were headed into the Geldin District to find a place with generators and public computers.

As they were sailing, another boat came from the opposite direction. Jesper whistled appreciatively. “Would you look at that! That’s a Malibu-24MXZ, one of the finest in its class. It’s number one in luxury, quality and performance.”

“Hate to break it to you guys, but that’s the Dime Lions,” Inej sighed. Sure enough, Geels, Eamon, and Big Bolliger were behind the wheel of the fancy Malibu. 

“Of course, those jerks have a brand new boat,” Nina grumbled.

“Just think how many nice things thirty million kruge will buy,” Kaz said. The Dregs all shared grins and sailed onwards.

Kaz directed them to a dock near the Geldin District’s library. As Matthias tied off the boat, Jesper took out the pearl-handled revolvers. “Since we’re going behind enemy lines, I figured we should have these with us.”

“I think bringing guns into a library would cause more problems than they would solve,” Matthias told him.

“For once, I agree with Helvar,” Kaz said.

“Saints, Jes, I’m going to toss those guns into the ocean,” Nina said. Jesper grumbled, but put the guns into the cargo hold so they’d be out of sight.

Kaz led the way to the library. The backup generators were running, the lights were on and the air conditioning was blowing. The Dregs headed for a bank of computers in the back of the library. Kaz sat down in front of one and pulled out the map to check the coordinates. He typed them in, and a red marker was placed on the map on the screen.

“So, what are we looking at?” Jesper asked, looking over Kaz’s shoulder. 

“It’s right off the continental shelf,” Kaz said. “Let’s hope it's not off the deep end.” He zoomed in to see more accurate readings of water depths. 

Jesper leaned in closer, looking at the numbers. “Look, it’s on the high side! It’s only 900 feet.”

“Is that doable?” Inej asked.

“Yes, it’s doable,” Kaz answered.

“Will we be taking your personal submarine?” Nina asked.

“No, but the Salvage Yard currently has a drone that can go 1,000 feet down with a 360-degree camera and built in metal detectors,” Kaz informed.

“How do you know that?” Matthias questioned.

“I have my sources,” Kaz said.

“And I assume you have a plan to get this drone,” Inej guessed.

“Of course,” Kaz assured. “Now, who wants to help me recover thirty million?”

“If it involves stealing, absolutely not,” Matthias said.

“Um, absolutely yes!” Jesper corrected.

Kaz stood up after erasing the browser history on the computer and led the way to the door. Inej and Jesper followed. Nina started to go, and noticed Matthias hadn’t moved. “Come on Matthias, I’m sure Kaz is just planning to borrow the drone.”

“Can’t we do anything legal for money?” Matthias sighed, but he let Nina pull him out of the library after their friends.

*-*

“Wylan!”

Wylan winced at his father’s tone. He had only come inside the house for a change of clothes. He had been volunteering all morning, cleaning up the beaches after the hurricane. Wylan had hoped that his father would be tending to one of his construction sites. It seemed luck was not with him. He steeled himself and went into his father’s office.

“Yes, sir?” Wylan asked timidly.

“Where have you been?” Jan questioned sharply.

“I was helping clean up the beaches after the storm. I thought it would be good for your company’s image, to have a representative of the family helping with the relief aid,” Wylan answered. 

Jan laughed coldly. “As if you could be considered a representative of the Van Eck name,” he spat. Wylan flinched and looked down at his shoes. “Perhaps you don’t even want to be. I know you’ve been sleeping on the boat. Is this house not good enough for you, you ungrateful imbecile?”

“The house is fine, sir.”

“If you want to support yourself, you can go live in the damn Barrel. I’m sure you’d feel more at home there, with your friends.”

“Friends?”

“Well, Jesper Fahey must be your friend. You didn’t tell me he was sneaking onto my boat at all hours, taking gear. And I know you must have seen him. Unless you’re deaf as well as dumb.”

“I’m not.”

“Then what was he doing?”

“Jesper said he took the oxygen tanks to refill them, but the compressors weren’t working, so he brought them back empty.”

“And that’s all?”

“That’s all, sir.”

Jan stared at him for a moment, then waved him off. “Get out of my sight, I’m sick of looking at you.” 

Wylan made a hasty retreat from his father’s office. He wasn’t sure why his father was suddenly so interested in Jesper, but it couldn’t mean anything good.

*-*

“All right, everyone knows their part of the plan?” Kaz asked.

The Dregs were around the corner from the Salvage Yard. They had pulled _The Wraith_ from the water and hitched it to the back of Inej’s SUV. Inej was handing Nina the keys. Nina was wearing a low-cut one piece and a short skirt.

“You got this,” Inej said.

“Oh, it’s not me that I’m worried about,” Nina smirked.

“And if Matthias tries to make you dress like a Fjerdan for the rest of the summer?”

“He knows better than to try that. Besides, it’s so fun to rile him up.”

Inej laughed and shook her head. “Please try to keep your distraction skills on the guard.”

“No promises,” Nina winked. She got into Inej’s car and waited until the others had made their way around the corner to get to their hiding spot. She gave them a few more minutes before starting the car and driving to the entrance of the Salvage Yard. 

She stopped in front of the entrance, got out of the car, and made a show of going back to the boat and checking the tire. She looked around, pretending to just notice the security shack inside the gated Salvage Yard. “Excuse me?” She called as she made her way closer to the gate. A security guard came out of the shack. “Oh, thank the Saints! I have a flat tire, and of course I can’t call anyone because the cell towers are still down. Is there any way you could help me out?” Nina pouted and batted her eyelashes.

“Yeah! Yeah, I can help,” the security guard answered eagerly. He went back inside the shed to get some tools and opened the gate.

As soon as he stepped through, Nina grabbed his arm and dragged him to the boat’s tire. “Thank you so much! You’re a lifesaver! It’s just this back one over here, I don’t know what happened to it.”

“Probably had it sitting in the yard too long,” the guard told her.

“You’re so smart, ugh I am so lucky you can help me!”

“I got this, no problem.”

Nina watched as Inej slipped through the closing gate and went into the security shack. She pressed a button and the gate stopped closing. Kaz, Jesper, and Matthias came out of hiding and ran through the gate. The boys disappeared into the yard, looking for the drone. Nina just had to keep the guard distracted long enough for them to find it.

*-*

Kaz led the others through the Salvage Yard, heading for a large shed on the right side of the yard. The shed was locked with a padlock that required a key. Kaz took out his lockpicks and got to work. Jesper and Matthias kept watch. 

A big dog came running through the yard, barking. He stopped in front of the boys, growling and barking at them. Jesper’s eyes widened. Kaz hissed at them over his shoulder, “Shut that dog up! I’m trying to concentrate!”

Matthias yelled a word in Fjerdan, and the dog sat and stopped barking. Matthias gave another command, and the dog laid down. He slowly approached the dog, holding out his hands to show he meant no harm. The dog watched, and his tail started wagging. Matthias bent down and pet the dog, whispering “who’s a good boy?”

Jesper laughed. “Aw, Matthias, I didn’t know you were so good with dogs!”

Matthias gave a small smile. “I worked at an animal shelter in Fjerda,” he explained.

“And look at this boy, he’s not vicious at all…” Jesper moved to pet the dog, and the dog snapped at him. Jesper scurried back. “Never mind, he’s terrifying.”

The lock clicked and Kaz swung open the door. “Matthias, keep the dog busy. Jesper, with me.” 

Jesper and Kaz went inside the shed. They checked the shelves for the drone. Kaz signaled to Jesper. The drone and its remote were in two cases. Jesper grabbed the cases and followed Kaz out of the shed. Kaz replaced the lock on the door. The three boys and the dog made their way back to the entrance of the Salvage Yard. 

Inej was waiting for them in the security shack. Nina and the security guard were chatting while he checked the air in her other tires. They made sure his back was turned and went through the gate. Matthias told the dog to stay by the side of the security shed. Once the boys had made it through, Inej stopped holding the button in the shack that kept the gate from closing. She slipped through the gate and joined the boys, running back to the van that was around the corner.

Jesper and Matthias loaded the cases into the van. They waited on the side of the road for a few minutes. Nina came around the corner and stopped beside them.

“Did you get it?” she called through the rolled down window.

“Yes. Everyone back to the Slat. Let’s try out our new drone,” Kaz said.

“No, Kaz, you have no food in your house and stealing the drone made me hungry,” Nina argued.

“It is getting dark, Kaz, we can test the drone tomorrow,” Inej agreed.

“Then what do you want to do?” Kaz asked.

“We can go to The High Wire, get some dinner,” Inej offered.

“Yes, Inej and her parents are my favorite!” Nina said.

“I could go for food,” Jesper added. Matthias nodded.

“Fine, food now, drone test first thing tomorrow,” Kaz relented. The Dregs got into the cars, Inej and Nina in the SUV and Kaz, Matthias, and Jesper in the van. They set off down the road, toward Inej’s parents’ restaurant. They could celebrate their victory tonight. Tomorrow, the real work would begin.

*-*

Out at sea, a fishing boat was bobbing in the waves. The crew on board was bringing up a big net full of fish. It would be their last haul of the day, as the sun was beginning to set.

One of the fisherman went to the net to help guide it down to the deck. He stopped short at the sight of something other than fish inside. “Hey, hey, stop!” he yelled.   
The net stopped its descent. “Take a look at this!”

The rest of the crew came over to the net. What they saw left them in shock. 

A human hand was sticking out of the net. That hand was attached to a body.

“What the hell did we catch?” a crewman asked in a horrified hush.

The captain began giving orders. “Get that net open carefully. I’m calling it in.” The crew scrambled to follow his instructions. The captain went over to his radio. He called the Coast Guard and requested that Sheriff Rotty come to meet him at the docks. After explaining the situation, the Coast Guard agreed and said they would inform the Stadwatch.

The captain sailed their boat into the harbor while the crew worked to untangle the body from the net. One of the crewmen cursed, and he heard a shout from the lower deck. “Cap, there’s two dead guys in here!” The captain sped up, wanting to get this taken care of as soon as possible.

Sheriff Rotty was waiting for the ship at the dock. The crew secured the ship and set up the gangplank for the Sheriff. The captain went down to meet him. “Appreciate you coming down so quick, Sheriff.”

“What’s this I hear about a body?” Sheriff Rotty asked as he climbed aboard.

“Actually, there’s two, Sheriff. I never caught anything like this in my nets before.” The captain gestured for one of the crewmen to lead them to the bodies.

“Nobody recognized them sir. Looks like the sharks got to ‘em,” the crewman said. He brought them over to a tarp. When he pulled it back, the bodies of two men were revealed. Sheriff Rotty’s mouth dropped open in surprise.

It was the two men who had been chasing Kaz through town the day before.

*-*

Nina and Inej pulled into a parking spot in front of The High Wire, the van stopping next to them. The Dregs all got out of the vehicles and headed inside the restaurant.

“What I am about to do to some shrimp and fries is not going to be pretty,” Jesper said.

Inej led they way in. She stopped at the counter to talk to her parents. After a few minutes, she waved her friends over to a table in the corner and they all sat down. They came to the restaurant often enough that Inej’s parents knew their orders. Soon after they arrived, food was placed in front of everyone and they all started to devour it. The restaurant was empty except for them, so the Dregs talked and laughed loudly together as they ate. 

Once the food was gone, Nina insisted that they all help clean the restaurant, since Inej’s parents had told them that their meals were on the house. Inej tried to tell them it wasn’t necessary, but the others had already gotten up to start cleaning. Nina turned up the radio and danced as she cleaned. Jesper laughed and joined in, pulling Inej with him. Matthias tried to protest, but eventually was roped into dancing with Nina. Kaz watched as the others danced and cleaned, eyes following Inej. She was smiling as Jesper twirled her, laughing. What he wouldn’t give to make her laugh like that.

“Kaz! You can stop sulking and dance with us if you want,” Nina called. 

Kaz glared. “I don’t dance.”

“Neither does Matthias, but you don’t see him complaining.”

“Actually, I did complain, you just kept swaying around me until I stopped,” Matthias corrected.

“You see, Nina, sweet, you may have Matthias wrapped around your finger, but some of us are still resistant to your charms. Besides, it’s getting late. I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Ghafa would like to go home at some point,” Kaz said. Nina stuck her tongue out at him.

Inej stopped dancing at the mention of her parents. “Kaz is right, it is late,” she said as she picked up their pile of dishes and walked into the kitchen. Nina sighed and followed her. Matthias picked up his abandoned mop and went back to washing the floors.

“If you wanted to dance with her, you could have cut in,” Jesper muttered as he walked past, wiping down tables. Kaz didn’t answer, but if Jesper tripped over his cane a moment later, it was certainly an accident.

*-*

The next morning, the Dregs were back at the Slat. They had set up the drone for a test run. Kaz was manning the controls. He watched on the screen as Matthias swam up to the camera on the drone and tapped on it. 

“What’s this do?” Jesper asked, reaching his hand towards one of the buttons. Kaz slapped his hand away, shooting him a glare. He turned back to the screen to see Nina swimming up to the side of the drone. Matthias had moved to the other side, and he could see both of them.

Jesper cradled his hand as though mortally wounded. “Gee, Kaz, you don’t have to be so possessive of your toys.”

“It’s not a toy,” Kaz replied.

“So, what do we do now?” Inej asked. Nina and Matthias had come back to the surface and were swimming back to the dock.

“Once we get footage of the wreck, we bring it to a lawyer in town and file a proper claim,” Kaz explained.

“Why do we have to do that?” Jesper asked.

“Maritime Salvage Law says you can’t just go to the ocean floor and take whatever you want,” Matthias said.

“I know that, but lawyers are expensive,” Jesper whined.

“Yes, but by then, we will be filthy rich,” Nina reminded.

“The tether for the drone is long. In the wrong weather, the drone could get pushed around, and we could lose it. We’ll need to wait for slack tide,” Kaz said.

The Dregs looked up at the sky. A thunderstorm was rolling in, and the waves were already choppy. “Today is not that day,” Inej observed.

“Right, in that case, is anybody up for helping my dad make deliveries later?” Jesper asked. Nina, Matthias, and Inej agreed. Kaz said he needed to go back to the library to look up some information about the _Jurda Parem_ , since Jordie’s research had been stolen. The others planned to meet up that afternoon at Jesper’s dad’s dock, and everyone parted ways. 

*-*

Jesper was running late to meet the Dregs at his dad’s dock. He had gone home to make lunch for himself and something to bring for his dad to eat. Of course, he had lost track of time. He was walking through town quickly, trying to get to the dock as fast as possible. In his hurry, he wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings, and he ran right into something.

“Oof,” a small voice grunted at the impact.

Make that someone.

“I’m so sorry, I’m late to meet some people, I didn’t mean…” Jesper trailed off as he looked down at who he had knocked over. 

Wylan looked up at him. “It’s ok, I’m sure it was an accident,” he said. Jesper turned on his heel and started walking away. “Wait! Jesper!”

Jesper turned back and watched Wylan scramble up off the sidewalk. “What do you want, merchling?”

“I’m not like my father, and I didn’t lie to you. I don’t know how he found out about you taking the scuba gear, but I swear I didn’t tell him. I’m sorry you got fired,” Wylan said.

Jesper considered that for a moment, then nodded. “Ok.” He turned to walk away again.

“Jesper,” Wylan called again. Jesper looked over his shoulder. “My father seemed very interested that you took the gear. He asked me all about it yesterday. I didn’t tell him anything, but… Just be careful, ok? You don’t want him as your enemy.” Wylan looked at him for a moment, and Jesper could see the sincerity and worry in his eyes. Jesper nodded again, and Wylan turned and walked away hurriedly.

“What the hell was that?” Jesper asked himself. He watched Wylan for a few more seconds, before remembering why he was in such a hurry in the first place. He jogged the rest of the way to the docks.

“There you are, Jes!” Colm greeted. Jesper held up the cooler with his dad’s lunch inside. “Thanks. Your friends are waiting for you on the boat. We’ve already got it loaded up and ready to go.”

“Ok, Da, we’ll bring the boat back soon!” Jesper said as he rushed to the boat.

“Jesper, we’ve been waiting for ages! We thought you tricked us into doing your work for you,” Nina yelled from the boat. 

“Sorry, I got waylaid by Wylan,” Jesper told them.

“Your merchling from the party?” Nina asked, interest piqued. 

“Not my merchling,” Jesper reminded. “But yeah. He apologized for his dad firing me. And then he gave me some weird warning about his dad. I don’t really know what he meant. Anyway, sorry I’m late. Where are we headed?”

Inej showed him the list of deliveries they had to make, and explained how they had decided to divvy it up. Jesper nodded and started the boat, taking them to the Geldin District.

*-*

Once they reached the main docks on the other side of Ketterdam, they split up the grocery orders and went their separate ways. Jesper and Inej went left at the end of the dock, and Nina and Matthias went right. They had agreed to make most of the deliveries in pairs, in case they ran into unfriendly Dime Lions.

Nina and Matthias walked together, until their route split. Matthias was going to cut through the golf course at the country club and then make his way back around to meet Nina in the middle, and they would head back together. Nina waved at Matthias as she continued down the street. He watched until she went around the corner, and then went onto the golf course. He walked quickly to reunite with Nina as soon as possible. 

As he walked across the golf course, two figures stopped him on the path. He sighed. It was Geels and Big Bolliger, and they both had golf clubs.

“I’m sorry, this golf course is for members only,” Geels sneered. 

“I’m just passing through,” Matthias told them.

“Maybe if you give us one of those beers you’re carrying, we’ll let it slide,” Big Bol suggested.

“These aren’t mine, I’m delivering them. They’ve already been paid for,” Matthias said.

“I don’t know, Dreg, I think you stole them,” Geels taunted. He stuck his golf club through the handle of one of the plastic grocery bags and pulled until it ripped. The contents of the bag tumbled onto the ground.

“What the hell?” Matthias growled. He shoved Geels away and moved to pick up the fallen items. While he was distracted, Big Bol grabbed the box of beer Matthias was carrying. After a brief struggle, the box ripped, and Matthias was sent sprawling. He rolled across the sand. When he stopped, he reached up to feel a scrape on his forehead. He looked over see Geels and Big Bol picking up stray cans of beer. 

Matthias stood up and rushed at the two Dime Lions. In his anger, he swung wildly. Geels sidestepped and swung his golf club across Matthias’s back. Matthias hit the ground hard, his breath knocked out of him. Geels and Big Bol laughed at him. They picked up the beer cans and left Matthias on the ground.

“Stay on your side of the island, Dreg,” Geels called over his shoulder. 

Matthias stayed down until his breath came back. He slowly got up and gathered the other items from the order. Luckily, it had been his last one, so he made the delivery, minus the beer, and went to the designated spot to meet Nina. She was already there, waiting for him.

“What took you so long, did you get lost on the golf course?” Nina asked teasingly. When she got a good look at him, the smile was wiped from her face. She cupped his chin and tilted his head to look at the cut on his forehead. “What happened?”

“Dime Lions caught me, told me to stay in the Barrel,” he told her. Nina’s eyes hardened. She opened her mouth, but he cut her off. “Let’s just go meet the others, all right?” She looked like she wanted to argue, but nodded. She took his hand and they walked slowly back to the dock.

They made it back to the boat first, so Nina helped ease Matthias into a seat to wait for the others. She asked him if he had been injured anywhere else. Matthias reluctantly told her about the strike to his back. She lifted his shirt to check. He winced as she probed at what he knew would be bruises.

“I hate those Dime Lions,” she whispered. He nodded in agreement. Nina knelt down and kissed each of his shoulder blades. He shivered at her touch. “When we get back to Jesper’s dock we’ll get some ice for that,” she told him. She went to get the first aid kit and sat on his lap to clean the scrape on his face.

Jesper and Inej came back to the boat. They were laughing about something, but they fell silent when they saw what Nina and Matthias were doing. 

“Matthias, are you ok?” Inej asked.

“What happened to your face?” Jesper added.

Matthias didn’t answer, so Nina did. “He said some Dime Lions jumped him on the golf course.”

Jesper cursed. “This is probably my fault. They’re trying to get back at us for me pulling a gun on them.”

“It’s not your fault, Jesper,” Matthias looked up at him. “You didn’t attack me.”

“Well, what do you want to do about it?” Jesper asked.

“Do?” 

“Yeah, they strike us, we strike back!”

“Jesper, I’m not sure that’s a good idea. We don’t want them to be any angrier at us than they already are,” Inej tried.

“I’m with Jesper. They hurt Matthias, and we have to show them it’s not ok to mess with us,” Nina said.

Matthias looked thoughtful for a moment. “Remember their new boat from yesterday? Where do you think they keep that?” Jesper and Nina grinned.

Jesper steered the boat to the Dime Lion’s dock. The Malibu was there, and no one was around. 

“What do you want to do to it?” Jesper asked.

“Do you think we can sink it?” Matthias wondered.

“I am so proud of you right now,” Nina smirked. 

Matthias stood by the side of the boat, ready to jump into the water. When he raised his arms to dive in, he winced at the pull of his back muscles. Nina noticed and pulled him back. “Are you ok to swim? Your shoulders must be sore where they hit you.” Matthias tried to argue, but Nina pulled off her sundress to reveal a bathing suit and jumped in. She swam over to the Malibu and climbed aboard. She found the plug, pulled it out, and jumped back into the water. She returned to Jesper’s dad’s boat, waving the plug at her friends.

Jesper cheered, and Matthias gave her a small smile. Inej helped her back onto the boat, and they watched as the Dime Lion’s boat sank. Nina presented the plug to Matthias. He tossed it into the water, and Jesper drove the boat away from the scene of the crime.

“No one tell Kaz,” Nina said.

“Hell no, he’d kill us for inciting a gang war without his say so,” Jesper agreed. He, Nina, and Matthias turned to look at Inej. 

“Just because I gather secrets for Kaz doesn’t mean I tell him everything,” Inej said. The others continued staring at her. She held her hands up in surrender. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t see anything.”

They arrived back at Jesper’s dad’s dock a little while later. Colm met them on the dock and thanked them for their help. They said goodbye and followed Inej to where she had parked her SUV. It was time to check in with Kaz.

*-*

They pulled up to the Slat near dusk. Kaz was sitting on the porch. The others climbed onto the steps to join him.

“Successful day of deliveries?” Kaz questioned them.

“Yep. Successful day avoiding making deliveries?” Jesper shot back. Kaz flipped him off.

The Dregs sat in silence for a while, enjoying the evening breeze. Finally, Jesper broke the silence.

“Do you really think it’s out there?”

“My brother did,” Kaz answered.

“But do you believe it?”

“After hearing Jordie’s voice on that tape, yes.”

“I think we’ll find it,” Inej said.

“Guess we’ll find out. The weather is looking promising for tomorrow. Jesper, do you think we could borrow your dad’s boat? It’s bigger than _The Wraith_ , and I think it will be better suited to carry the drone’s winch system,” Kaz said.

“Your dad can borrow my boat if he needs one,” Inej offered.

“I’m sure it won’t be a problem,” Jesper replied.

“Good. Tomorrow it is. We’re setting off early, so everyone be ready,” Kaz instructed. He went inside the house after the others bid him a good night. 

Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.

*-*

Jesper’s dad had agreed to a boat swap, and the weather was just about perfect, so the Dregs were on their way to the coordinates Jordie had left for Kaz. They had loaded the drone onto Jesper’s dad’s boat, and they were ready to find out if Jordie had been right.

Kaz was carefully checking their location in relation to the coordinates. Finally, he called out “Right here!” Matthias, who was behind the wheel, turned off the boat’s engine. The water was still, so they wouldn’t move around too much.

They prepared to launch the drone, Kaz keeping his eyes on their location. Inej was in charge of keeping track of the drone’s tether, so they knew how far they needed to go. Jesper would be watching the feed from the drone’s camera. Kaz would make sure they stayed in the right place and would tell Matthias if they strayed too far. Nina would relay messages between Kaz and Matthias.

“Everyone set?” Kaz called. The others nodded. “No mourners.”

“No funerals,” they answered. 

Inej dropped the drone into the water and switched on the winch. The drone began lowering into the ocean. The tether had come with markings at every 100 feet, so she kept careful watch. The first mark passed. “One hundred feet!” 

Jesper had his eyes glued to the screen. A fish floated into view, surprising him. He jumped, and the others all looked to him.

“What is it?” Kaz asked hurriedly.

“Nothing, sorry, it was a fish,” Jesper mumbled, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Come on, Jes, don’t get our hopes up,” Nina yelled.

“Two hundred feet!” Inej called.

Kaz looked back down at his radar. He called some directions, and Nina repeated them to Matthias. Matthias turned the boat to keep their position.

“Three hundred feet!”

“Four hundred feet!”

Kaz rattled off some more directions, Matthias changed course. 

“Five hundred feet!”

The winds were starting to pick up. The Dregs looked to the sky and saw some big, dark clouds were coming their way. They knew that the weather could change quickly, but they had hoped the forecast would be accurate today.

“Six hundred feet!”

“Seven hundred feet! Kaz, the tide is turning, we might lose the drone!”

“We’re almost there, we can’t give up now!” Kaz yelled. “Nina, tell Matthias to turn the boat ten degrees South!” 

“I’m not seeing anything, Kaz,” Jesper informed him.

“We’re not quite there yet, Jesper. Matthias hold steady!”

“Eight hundred feet!”

The tension in the air was thick, and it wasn’t just the oncoming storm. This was it, the moment of truth. 

“Nine hundred feet!”

“Ok, ok, we’ve reached the floor!” Jesper called. Inej stopped the winch. She moved to join Jesper and Kaz at the screen.

“Do you see anything?” she asked.

“A whole lot of nothing,” Jesper said.

“We should be right on top of it!” Kaz growled.

“Wait, hold on! Do you see…” Jesper pointed at the screen. Inej, Jesper, and Kaz grinned.

“What is it? Did we find it?” Nina called.

“That’s the _Jurda Parem_ ,” Kaz confirmed. The Dregs cheered. Jordie had been right, and they had found the famous shipwreck.


	4. The Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited to share this chapter! It's my favorite!  
> Wylan and Jesper do discuss Jan Van Eck's A+ parenting in this chapter. It is vague, and nothing worse than what's in SOC canon, but just a heads up.  
> Thanks for reading! I still own nothing.

The _Jurda Parem_ was empty.

Jesper and Inej watched the screen as Kaz maneuvered the drone around the wreckage for the third time. They searched desperately for any sign of the lost treasure, but they only saw the lost ship.

The dark gray clouds were coming closer. Lightning was streaking across the sky. A storm was coming, and if they didn’t leave soon, they were sure to be caught in it. However, of the two, Kaz was definitely more thunderous. He slammed his hands onto the side of the boat in frustration. They had come so far, accomplished what no one else had. It still wasn’t good enough.

“Just bring up the drone,” he seethed. Inej went to the tether and put it in reverse, pulling the drone back to the surface.

“Maybe we missed something, we can try again,” Jesper suggested.

“We already tried, there’s nothing there,” Matthias pointed out.

“Maybe the gold was buried?” Nina said.

“If the gold was there, the metal detectors on the drone would have found it,” Kaz muttered. “Someone must have beaten us to it.”

“Or it was never there,” Matthias said.

The teens on the boat fell into silence. The mood was as dark as the weather. 

Inej and Jesper brought the drone over the side of the boat when it reached the surface. Once it was safely onboard, Matthias drove Jesper’s dad’s boat back towards shore. Kaz was sitting by himself at the front of the boat. The others stayed away, letting him work through whatever he needed to do.

After a long, quiet ride back to Jesper’s dad’s dock, the Dregs disembarked from the boat. _The Wraith_ was waiting for them. Kaz climbed aboard and sped off in Inej’s boat without asking. Jesper tried to stop him, but Inej grabbed his wrist. She shook her head sadly, and Jesper sighed.

“What now?” Nina asked.

“Kaz needs time, and space. Let’s all go home for a bit. He’ll come to us when he’s ready,” Inej said. The Dregs nodded and parted ways. They’d give Kaz all the time he needed.

*-*

In a way, it was like losing Jordie all over again.

Jordie had been obsessed with finding the wreck of the _Jurda Parem_. He’d gathered as much evidence as he could find. From original blueprints of the boat, to weather and wave pattern maps, to information on the ship’s builders, and everything in between. He told Kaz hundreds of ways they could use the gold once they found it on the wreck. All they had to do was find the _Jurda Parem_.

Now that he had found it, he had nothing to show for it. The shipwreck was empty. Jordie’s research had been taken. Jordie was still gone.

Kaz pulled up to the dock at the Slat. He tied off _The Wraith_ , sparing a minute to hope Inej wouldn’t be too upset that he’d taken off in her boat, and headed inside. He went straight for the office. Surely, he must have missed something. Jordie had to have left him something.

Kaz limped to Jordie’s desk. He sat down heavily in the chair, stretching out his bad leg. He took a minute to just look at Jordie’s desk. Across from Kaz, in the far center of the desk, there was a wooden model of the _Jurda Parem_. Kaz lifted his cane above the desk and poked at the boat. He almost pushed it off the desk, but he didn’t want to destroy Jordie’s belongings. He reached across and put the ship back into its place. He kept looking, and saw there was a pyrite paperweight on the corner of the desk. Kaz had given that to Jordie for his birthday. He’d always teased his brother about his foolish search for gold. Somewhere, Jordie was laughing at him. _Who’s the fool now Kaz?_

There was a book under the paperweight. Kaz looked at it, the spine proclaimed it was a history of Ketterdam. Why was this book left here? Jordie had a shelf behind the desk full of books, why not put it with the others?

Kaz picked up the book and thumbed through it. There was a page that had a dog-eared corner, so he opened to it. The page showed a picture of a portrait of a man. It was labeled Bo Yul-Bayur. According to the book, Yul-Bayur was one of the founders of Ketterdam. He had mysteriously appeared in the region and purchased a large portion of land.

With gold.

This part of the book had been highlighted, and Jordie had written in the margin next to it. Kaz read the words “possible survivor?” and wondered what his brother had meant. The name was familiar, but Kaz couldn’t place it. He continued reading the passage. Bo Yul-Bayur’s estate had been broken up over the years, but the original house still stood. It was located in the Geldin District, no surprise there. The whole estate had been named for its founder, and the house was still known as Bayurhill. 

It had been big news when Bayurhill was sold a few years ago. Jan Van Eck had purchased it and promised to restore the house to its former glory. His construction company had done a nice job with the renovations and had opened itself up to a whole new historical properties market. While they had been working on the house, Van Eck had found some original documents from Bo Yul-Bayur himself. 

But that wasn’t why the name was familiar. Kaz went over to his own desk. He pulled out the envelope Jordie had left for him and looked through the papers again. The map with the coordinates was no help now. The blueprint of the ship compared to the images of the wreck just told him how bad the storm must have been that had taken the _Jurda Parem_ down. The complete list of passengers…

Included the name Bo Yul-Bayur.

Kaz froze. Bo Yul-Bayur had come from out of nowhere and paid for a large parcel of land with gold. Bo Yul-Bayur had been a cook on the _Jurda Parem_. Jordie had done it again. 

Kaz hurried out to his van. He needed to see the documents from Bo Yul-Bayur that Jan Van Eck had found. Kaz paused while pulling on his seat belt. Van Eck wouldn’t show him the papers. Kaz needed an in, someone who knew the family.

Kaz finished putting on his seat belt and started the car. He needed Jesper.

*-*

Eamon, Geels, and Big Bolliger were walking away from their dock, leaving the crane operator to finish recovering their boat. They had gone to the dock this morning for a ride to find the Malibu gone. Or so it had seemed. Eamon had sent Geels in to check, and Geels came back saying the boat had sunk. They had called the crane company to fish it out. The operator told them the plug was missing, and the fees for fixing the boat and bringing it back out of the water would be about 30,000 kruge.

“We all know who did this,” Geels grumbled.

“Of course we do, it was Matthias and the Dregs,” Big Bol agreed.

“If you two hadn’t jumped him on the golf course yesterday, I might still have a boat,” Eamon groused.

“Well we had to have Big Bol’s back after they put a gun to his head. Look, we’re not the enemy here,” Geels said.

“It’s those damn Dregs, Eamon,” Big Bol added.

“And we need to force them to take some personal responsibility for their actions,” Geels finished.

“They sunk the boat, E. That shit can’t stand. So, what are we gonna do about it?” Big Bol asked.

“We’re gonna teach those Dregs a lesson,” Eamon promised. The war was on, and it was the Dime Lion’s move. The Dregs wouldn’t know what hit them.

*-*

Jesper couldn’t believe he had let Kaz talk him into this.

An hour ago, Kaz had come banging on the door of the Fahey home. As soon as it was opened, Kaz pushed his way in. He explained the latest information Jordie had left for him, about some old founder of Ketterdam who was supposedly a survivor of the _Jurda Parem_. The founder had left a bunch of old papers and possessions in his house that currently belonged to the Van Eck family. And he wanted Jesper to get in there and look at them.

“Are you serious, Kaz? I can’t go back there, Van Eck fired me!”

“Van Eck doesn’t have to know you’re there. Ask your merchling friend Wylan.”

“He’s not my merchling! I’m not even sure we’re friends.”

“Either you go and ask him nicely, or I go and kidnap him and exchange him for the documents.”

Jesper honestly wouldn’t put it past Kaz to go through with option B, so he had reluctantly agreed to option A. Which was how he found himself walking through the Geldin District towards Bayurhill. Kaz was expecting him to report back as soon as possible. Jesper told himself that was the only reason he was almost running through the streets. Not because he didn’t want to run into any pissed off, boatless Dime Lions alone.

Speaking of which…

“Hey, is that Fahey?” he heard from behind him. He dared a glance back and cursed his luck. Eamon, Geels, and Big Bolliger had just turned a corner onto the street Jesper was walking down. He had a block and a half lead on them, and he sped up to make it bigger.

“What’s the rush, Fahey? Don’t have your guns on you today?” Eamon called.

As a matter of fact, he did not have his guns. Jesper had decided it would be bad enough going to the Van Eck house by himself without the guns, and he hadn’t wanted to add to his problems. A terrible decision that he was really regretting now. 

Jesper turned the corner and broke out into a full sprint. He started going down random streets in the hopes of losing the Dime Lions. He knew he couldn’t keep up this pace forever, so he started looking for something that would help him. He spotted a bike that had been left in someone’s front yard. He ran to the bike and hopped on, pedaling as fast as he could. He sped down the streets, looking at the signs so he could circle back to his original destination. Stupid Kaz and his stupid treasure hunt.

He was finally on track to get to Wylan’s house when he turned around to see if he still had a tail. There was no one behind him, and he didn’t see anyone coming onto the street either. He grinned and turned back to look where he was going.

He promptly ran into a curb and was flung forward over the bike’s handlebars.

Jesper skidded across the pavement on his stomach. When he came to a stop, he rolled over and groaned. This day could not get any worse.

“Ghezen! Are you all right?” Jesper looked up into the wide blue eyes of Wylan Van Eck. On the contrary, it seemed like his luck had changed. “Jesper? What are you doing here?”

“Hey, merchling, good to see you, too.”

Wylan set down some bags full of fresh produce next to Jesper and began looking him over. He poked at a graze on Jesper’s forearm and elbow, making Jesper wince. “What were you doing? You were riding like someone was chasing you.”

“Someone was chasing me, thank you very much. Eamon and his boys were after me.”

“Why?”

“Dregs versus Dime Lions business, the usual.”

“Oh, Ghezen, look at your shirt.” Wylan lifted Jesper’s shirt to reveal a nasty gash across his stomach. “We need to get you cleaned up. I can take you to a medik.”

“No, no, there’s no need for that.”

“Jesper, that looks bad, you have to get it looked at.”

“You can look at it for me. Or don’t you like the view?” Jesper winked. 

Wylan blushed. “Fine. Let’s get your bike, you can come to my house. It’s just a few blocks away.”

“Actually, that’s not my bike.” Wylan raised an eyebrow at him. “I just borrowed it to get away faster.”

Wylan picked up the bike and wheeled it over to lean against a nearby streetlight. He walked back to Jesper and helped him up before picking up his bags of groceries. “Come on then, let’s get you patched up,” he said as he led the way to his house. Jesper followed.

“Are you sure I can come over? Your dad probably won’t like an ex-employee bleeding all over his house,” Jesper said.

“So don’t bleed all over the house,” Wylan replied. “My father is away on business today anyway, so we shouldn’t run into him.”

Jesper sighed in relief. Then he smirked at Wylan. “Sure you can keep my presence a secret this time?”

“I didn’t tell him last time!”

“Relax, I’m kidding.” Jesper elbowed Wylan playfully and winced, remembering his injuries. Wylan looked up at him in concern, but Jesper waved him off. “I’ll be fine once we get this cleaned up.”

“We’re almost there,” Wylan assured. He led Jesper up the long driveway and into the house. They made a quick stop in the kitchen so Wylan could put the groceries away before they went upstairs. 

At the top of the stairs, there was a fancy portrait of a guy in old-fashioned clothes. Jesper paused in front of it. “Who’s the old dude?”

“That’s Bo Yul-Bayur, he built this house,” Wylan explained as he ushered Jesper toward the bathroom. 

Jesper mentally fist-pumped. “Cool. Your house probably has tons of historical stuff, since it’s so old.” Jesper watched Wylan get out a first aid kit from his seat on the edge of the bathtub. 

“My father found a diary, an almanac, and a bunch of other papers. He donated it all to the historical archives in Belendt,” Wylan told him. He knelt down in front of Jesper and opened the kit, taking out rubbing alcohol, cotton swabs, tweezers, and some bandages. He wet one of the cotton swabs with the rubbing alcohol. “This might sting a little. On the count of three, ok? One, two…”

Jesper flinched back and almost fell into the tub, groaning in pain. “A little? Saints, Wylan that hurts!”

“Well, I have to clean it,” Wylan argued. He went back to dabbing at the wound. Jesper smacked his hand away. Wylan looked up at him, bemused. “Seriously, Jes?” 

“Sorry, thank you for helping,” Jesper gasped out. Wylan picked up the tweezers and prodded the wound, checking for any pieces of pavement that might have gotten into it. Satisfied, he placed a bandage on Jesper’s stomach, covering the injury. Jesper smirked down at him. “You gonna kiss it better for me?”

Wylan’s face turned bright red and he withdrew his hands from Jesper quickly. He coughed awkwardly. “There you go, good as new.”

“Thanks, merchling,” Jesper said. Wylan started packing up the first aid supplies. “Hey, that stuff your dad donated, is it open to the public? Can I go see it?”

Wylan looked up at him in surprise. “Why?”

“I like history,” Jesper said quickly. Wylan’s gaze turned skeptical. “Can I see it or not?”

“It’s in a private collection,” Wylan said. Jesper’s face fell, and Wylan rushed on. “But I could get you in if you want. My family has a trustee pass.”

“Great! I need to go now.”

“Now? To Belendt?”

“Yes.”

“Why now?”

“Can’t tell you, it’s a matter of national security.” 

Wylan rolled his eyes at that. “Seriously?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but I really need to borrow that pass. The less you know, the better. Please, just trust me?”

“I don’t trust anyone, especially not with a trustee pass,” Wylan grinned. 

“I need to go now. Please,” Jesper said.

“Well, I’ll have to go with you.”

“What? No, you don’t have to…”

“The pass is in my family’s name, you need me.” 

Wylan and Jesper stared each other down. Jesper sighed in defeat. Kaz wasn’t going to like this.

*-*

Nina and Matthias had decided to make the most of their day without Kaz and his treasure hunt. Nina had pestered Matthias into taking her for waffles for lunch. After they had eaten, they had gone for a walk. It was now mid-afternoon, and they had stopped by Jesper’s dad’s dock. Mr. Fahey had told them Jesper had gone home after they had returned his boat this morning and he hadn’t seen him since. They chatted with him for a while before letting him get back to work.

As they were leaving, they spotted a truck across the street. At first, they thought it was the men who had been after them, but this truck was gray. Upon closer inspection, Nina and Matthias saw the Dime Lions watching them from inside the truck. Matthias paled, and Nina pulled him away from the truck. They ran back to Nina’s house, but didn’t go inside.

“Nina, they know! They know we sunk their boat,” Matthias panted.

“We don’t know that for sure,” Nina said.

“Why else would they be outside Mr. Fahey’s work?”

“They assaulted you, Matthias! They hit us, we hit them, it’s how it works.”

“What do we do?”

“We lay low, and if any Dime Lions ask us if we know anything about their boat, we deny it.” Matthias nodded, and pulled Nina into a hug. Nina kissed his cheek. “We’ll be ok. At least Kaz is too wrapped up in his gold hunt to be paying attention to Dime Lion drama.”

Matthias froze. “Pray that the demjin never finds out.” Nina laughed and kissed his cheek again.

*-*

Sheriff Rotty was sitting in his office when Specht knocked on his door. “Sorry to bother you, Sheriff. Can I show you something?” Rotty nodded and waved Specht in.

“What do you need, Specht?”

“Well, I was thinking. Remember those photos we found in Per Haskell’s motel room?” Specht put the envelope of photos on Rotty’s desk. Rotty opened the envelope and took out the pictures of an angel holding a trumpet. “That’s the _Jurda Parem_. At least, it looks like it. And remember those two dead mainlanders from the fishing boat? We found the truck you said they were driving, and look what was inside.” Specht dropped a blueprint of the _Jurda Parem_ on Rotty’s desk next to the pictures.

“So, three people looking for the _Jurda Parem_ drowned,” Rotty summarized.

“Except those mainlanders didn’t drown. Take a look at the coroner’s report,” Specht corrected, handing Rotty a file. Rotty opened it and saw pictures of the two men’s bodies. He looked at the report, and paused at the cause of death.

“Murder?” Rotty asked.

“Coroner says they were attacked and dumped. There’s no water in the victim’s lungs,” Specht explained.

“These were the guys who chased Kaz Brekker through town,” Rotty said.

“Maybe he knows something,” Specht mused.

Rotty looked over the pieces Specht had put together, deep in thought. “Ok. Good job, Specht. Let me look into this.”

“Sure thing, Sheriff,” Specht said. He walked out of Rotty’s office, leaving him to puzzle it out.

*-*

Jesper and Wylan arrived at the ferry dock only to find that all tickets for the day were sold out. Jesper groaned in frustration. “You have got to be kidding me!”

“It’s ok, we can get tickets for tomorrow,” Wylan offered.

“No! I need to see this stuff as soon as possible!” Jesper looked up, eyes scanning the other boats docked in the harbor. He looked at Wylan. “You ever ride on a tugboat?”

“You can’t be serious.”

Jesper grabbed Wylan’s hand, dragging him down the dock. “It’ll be great, we just have to talk our way onto this barge. No problem, these are my people.” When they got close enough to the ship Jesper wanted, he stopped. “Ok, you just wait here, I’ll get us on board.” He sprinted the rest of the way, calling out “Hey, cap!”

Wylan watched Jesper talk to the man. Jesper gestured wildly, no doubt spinning some crazy story about why they needed to get on this boat. The man kept shaking his head. Wylan couldn’t help but smile at Jesper’s antics. Finally, Jesper gave up and turned back towards him. Wylan schooled his features into a curious look. “So?”

“Um… they’re booked.”

“Your people are booked?” Wylan looked up at him, feigning surprise.

“Do you have a better idea?” Jesper grouched.

Wylan looked around the dock. He wasn’t sure why Jesper was so desperate to see a bunch of old papers, but he did want to help. He’d managed to talk Jesper into letting him come, and he wasn’t about to give up on their adventure now. Wylan watched as men in yellow jackets loaded cargo onto the barge. He looked around, smiling when he found what he was searching for. This time, he grabbed Jesper’s hand and pulled him over to where workers were leaving their yellow jackets. He passed one to Jesper and shrugged into one himself.

“What are we…?” Jesper started.

“Blending in,” Wylan cut him off. “Grab a tank.” 

As they walked past a pile of small tanks, Wylan and Jesper each grabbed one. Wylan led the way to the barge, walked right past the captain onto the boat, and set down the tank next to some others just like it. Jesper did the same, and they made their way further onto the ship. They took the stairs that went below deck, looking for a place to hide.

“We’re about to set off!” They head a voice yell above them. 

Jesper yanked Wylan through a door into a supply closet. He put a finger to his lips, signaling for Wylan to stay quiet. Wylan moved further into the room, seeing rope, cleaning supplies, and other boxes on shelves lining the walls. Jesper came up behind him. Suddenly, the boat lurched, and Wylan nearly lost his balance. Jesper immediately moved to steady him, arms circling his waist. Wylan melted into the embrace and blushed furiously. But he looked up at Jesper and smiled when he realized why he had almost fallen.

“We’re moving!” Wylan whispered. He held up a hand for a high five.

“Uh… yeah, we are,” Jesper said slowly, and then returned the high five. 

Wylan worried for a moment that he had somehow messed up. Did people not high five for something like this? They had successfully gotten a step closer to their goal, it seemed like a perfect time for such a gesture. And then he realized Jesper was still almost hugging him from when the boat had started moving. “Um, Jesper?”

“Hmm?”

“You can let go now.”

Jesper released him quickly. Wylan was surprised to find he wished he hadn’t mentioned anything. “Sorry, I was just wondering how you knew to do that,” Jesper said.

“Do what?”

“Dress up like workers and sneak on board.”

“Oh, that. I just watched the way the dock worked and figured it would be the easiest way,” Wylan shrugged.

Jesper laughed. “You must be some kind of genius.”

Wylan flinched at that. “I’m not that smart.”

“Sure, you are. I mean, you’re a merchling, so you probably haven’t been to these docks that often. But you figured out how it worked and made a plan to get on board in just a few minutes.”

“I like figuring out how things work.” Wylan took off his borrowed yellow jacket, laid it on the floor, sat down on it, and leaned against the wall. Jesper joined him. They sat quietly for a while. Wylan started to get really hot and ran a hand through his curls to find them plastered against his head with sweat. “I didn’t realize the supply closet of a barge would be this hot,” he said, waving his hand like a fan in front of his face.

“It’s boiling in here,” Jesper agreed. He stripped off the yellow jacket and his t-shirt. Wylan’s eyes widened and he just stopped himself from dropping his jaw. He hoped Jesper would think his blush was due to the heat and not from the sight of Jesper shirtless. Jesper looked over at him and caught him staring. “I know, I make everything hot,” he winked. 

Wylan quickly glanced away. He wracked his brain desperately for something to do to keep Jesper talking. “Do you want to play a game?” Jesper raised an eyebrow and Wylan panicked. “We don’t have to! It was just a suggestion to pass the time. I thought it might help keep our minds off of the heat. It’s ok if you don’t…”

“What game?”

Wylan stopped rambling, trying to think of a game. “Truth or Dare? Except no Dare, because we’re trying to be quiet and we can’t really dare each other to do anything…”

“That’s just Truth, Wylan,” Jesper grinned.

“Yeah. You want to play Truth?”

“Sure.”

“Ok. You can ask the first question.”

Jesper smiled and put on a horrible accent. “Why did you kill Dimitri?”

“What? I didn’t kill…”

“Relax, merchling, it’s a joke. Like a spy movie? You know, since we’re on a mission?” 

“Oh,” Wylan said. He slipped into a Fjerdan accent. “Dimitri, he knew too much. I had to kill him.”

“No fair, that accent was way better than mine,” Jesper laughed.

“My turn,” Wylan said, back in his normal voice. “What did you see in the painting?”

“What painting?”

“The one of Bo Yul-Bayur at my house.”

“Nothing special.”

“Well, something made you want to go to the archives.”

“It wasn’t the painting, specifically.”

“Then what was it?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not your turn. I already answered your question,” Jesper teased. 

“Fine, your turn,” Wylan acquiesced. 

“Why were you sleeping on your dad’s boat two nights in a row?”

“What?”

“I mean, I get the first night, you said you didn’t want to get caught sneaking in late. But then you were there again. Why? Sneaking out to meet your girlfriend?”

Wylan swallowed and stared at the floor. “It wouldn’t be a girlfriend,” he admitted. He sneaked a look at Jesper out of the corner of his eye, and saw that his grin had widened.

“Boyfriend, then?”

“No, I just… my father and I don’t really get along.”

Jesper sat up hurriedly. “Is it because you’re gay?”

“No, although I’m sure that doesn’t help.”

“Then what is it?”

Wylan froze. The answer to that question was his biggest secret. His father had threatened to kill him if anyone found out and brought shame to the name Van Eck. And, while Jesper seemed very nice, Wylan wasn’t ready for another person to know how dumb he really was. 

“Wylan?” Jesper asked softly. Wylan realized he must have been quiet for too long. “You don’t have to answer. I already got too many questions.” Wylan breathed a sigh of relief and offered Jesper a small smile. “Let’s play something else. I spy with my little eye…”

Wylan thanked whoever was up there for Jesper’s understanding. He relaxed and joined Jesper in their new game as they sailed closer to Belendt and the archives.

*-*

“Why did I let you talk me into this again?” Kaz asked. Inej had invited Kaz, Nina, and Matthias to an outdoor movie. More accurately, Inej, Nina, and Matthias had shown up at the Slat and nearly dragged Kaz to Inej’s car. They had arrived at the field where the movie would be playing. Matthias was carrying four lawn chairs and Nina had a cooler full of snacks.

“You need to get out of your own head for the evening,” Nina said.

“I don’t see why we had to come here to do that,” Kaz grumbled. 

“I don’t like it either, Nina. This is too open, the Dime Lions…” Matthias worried.

“What about the Dime Lions?” Kaz asked sharply.

“Nothing,” Nina and Matthias said quickly. Kaz narrowed his eyes at them.

“We thought a movie night might cheer you up. We tried to get Jesper to come with us, but Mr. Fahey said he wasn’t home,” Inej said.

“Jesper is taking care of some business for me,” Kaz told her. 

“What business?”

“Let’s just say the trail hasn’t gone entirely cold.”

Inej looked like she wanted to ask more, but given their public location, let it go. Nina and Matthias had gone on ahead and waved from the place they had staked out. Matthias was setting up the chairs. Nina was digging in the cooler and groaned. “I forgot drinks.”

“There’s a drink stand over there, I’ll go get some,” Inej offered. She walked over to the drink stand, Kaz trailing behind. 

While they were in line for drinks, Geels came up to them. “Hey.”

Kaz sighed. “What do you want?”

“Tell your boy we know what he did,” Geels sneered.

Kaz raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“He’ll know.” With that, Geels left to join Eamon and Big Bolliger at the back of the crowd of moviegoers.

“Inej, dearest, do you have any idea what that was about?” Kaz asked. Inej looked distinctly uncomfortable, but was saved from having to answer when she was called up to order drinks. After Inej had gotten their drinks, she and Kaz made their way back to Nina and Matthias and sat down in the two unoccupied lawn chairs. 

“Matthias, I just had a chat with Geels. He said to tell my boy 'we know what he did'. While Jesper is usually my first choice of boys who make terribly stupid decisions, he’s not here right now. Care to enlighten me on what Geels might have been talking about?” Kaz inquired.

Matthias paled and turned to Nina. Nina looked at Kaz. “Geels is here? Where?” Inej pointed to the back. Nina and Matthias whipped their heads around to see the Dime Lions watching them. 

“What did you do?” Kaz asked lowly. When neither answered, he turned to Inej. “What did they do?”

“They sunk Eamon’s Malibu,” Inej answered.

“Inej!” Nina hissed. “Kaz, they jumped Matthias! We couldn’t let that stand!”

“So now you’ve got the Dime Lions watching our every move while we are working toward a big score,” Kaz said.

“The gold wasn’t there Kaz, there’s no big score,” Nina argued. Kaz glared.

“They did attack Matthias,” Inej put in. “And there’s no way they know about our hunt.”

Kaz considered Inej for a moment, then looked at Matthias and saw the scrape on his forehead. Kaz sighed. “You got yourselves into this mess, get yourselves out of it.” He turned his eyes to the screen and the crowd hushed as the movie began.

*-*

Sheriff Rotty went down to the morgue to learn more about the two dead bodies that had supposedly been murdered. He had spent hours going over the information that Specht had presented, and he was left with too many questions.

The coroner, Roeder, looked up when Rotty walked in. “Evening, Sheriff. What can I do for you?”

“I see you’ve ruled that those two mainlanders have been murdered.”

“They were.”

“You’re sure they didn’t drown?”

“Take a look for yourself,” Roeder said. He led Rotty into an examination room with two sheet-covered bodies on tables. Roeder pulled back the sheets and pointed at one of the many wounds. “See this? At first, I thought it was just part of the bites from the sharks. But upon closer inspection, the wound is curved on the inside in a way that doesn’t match teeth. And there’s several of them on both bodies, all identical. My guess is they were stabbed with a gaff hook.”

“Who would use a gaff hook to kill somebody? And why?”

“Well, the why is your job, Sheriff. But if I had to guess, I’d say the person who did this was pretty mad. There’s a lot of wounds from the hook, they were both stabbed multiple times. Then the killer tried to cover it up by dropping the bodies in the water and leaving them for the sharks.”

Sheriff Rotty nodded. “Thanks, Roeder. I better get back to it.” Rotty left the morgue and went back to his office. He closed the door and went to his desk to look over everything again. Two murdered mainlanders that had blueprints for the _Jurda Parem_ and had chased Kaz Brekker through town. 

Rotty sighed. He needed to talk to Kaz.

*-*

“Go, go, go!”

Wylan and Jesper were running up the stairs onto the main deck of the barge. As soon as the boat had stopped, Jesper had thrown open the door to the supply closet and led the way topside. A worker was yelling at them and chasing them through the boat. Once they hit the open air of the deck, Jesper ran to the side of the boat and leaped onto the pier. He turned to help Wylan, catching the other boy and lowering him onto the dock. They took off running down the pier and into the city. They had made it to Belendt.

Once they were sure they weren’t being followed, they slowed down. Jesper whooped and laughed, Wylan panted heavily beside him.

“We did it!” Jesper cheered.

“Ghezen, we look disgusting. We will not be getting into the archives like this.”

“What? Why not?”

“They will not let us in if we look like we just crawled out of a swamp.”

“Ok, so what do we do about that?”

“We need new clothes.”

“Whatever you say, you genius merchling.” 

Jesper and Wylan walked further into the city in search of a clothing store. Jesper wasn’t sure what Wylan was searching for, but was taken aback when they finally stepped inside a fancy shop. There were suits and dresses galore, and everything looked very expensive. 

“Wylan, what are we doing here?”

“My stepmother has an account here. I recognized the logo on the sign outside. We can charge our purchases through her,” Wylan explained. 

“But do we have to get super dressy?”

“Can I help you, gentlemen?” A clerk walked over to them, giving them a disdainful look.

“Yes, my name is Wylan Van Eck, and my stepmother Alys suggested we come here for some new clothes. As you can see, my friend here needs all the help he can get,” Wylan answered.

The clerk’s eyes widened at the name, and he put on a smile. “I can see that he does, sir. Right this way.”

Jesper glared at Wylan. “What’s wrong with how I dress?”

Wylan looked up at him. “You’re currently wearing lime green board shorts and a bloody t-shirt.”

Jesper looked down at himself. He had forgotten his shirt was bloodstained from his run-in with the pavement. “Fair,” he admitted. They followed the clerk to a dressing room at the back of the store. The clerk had picked up a few things on their way, including a white dress shirt, some khaki pants, and a bowtie. He put the items into a dressing room and ushered Jesper inside, telling him to try it on for size.

Jesper put on the outfit, surprised at how well everything fit. He assumed people who worked at stores like this had to have a good eye for figuring out sizes. He looked in the mirror and groaned. He should have let Kaz kidnap Wylan. This was humiliating.

“Jesper? Is everything ok in there?”

Jesper sighed and reluctantly left the dressing room. He looked at Wylan with a pout.

“Well, you look ready for the middle school dance,” Wylan laughed.

“I look like I got kicked out of a barbershop quartet,” Jesper whined.

Wylan turned to the clerk. “I think he needs some seersucker, and a light green button up.”

“Excellent choice, sir.” The clerk left to find what Wylan had asked for. 

Jesper tried to argue, but Wylan shushed him. “Just accept your fate.” Jesper huffed and went back to the dressing room to wait for the clerk to bring him some more clothes. Definitely should have let Kaz kidnap the merchling. Jesper would have helped.

There was a knock on the door and Jesper opened it to accept the clothing the clerk had brought. He put it on quickly and checked himself out in the mirror. He was surprised by how good he looked. The vertical stripes accentuated his height and the light green brought out his gray eyes. Wylan had chosen well. He smirked at the thought of Wylan’s reaction to his new outfit and walked out to see it.

Wylan’s wide eyes, dropped jaw, and blush did not disappoint. Jesper did a slow spin for him and winked. “What do you think, merchling? Will they let me into the archives now?” Wylan nodded like a bobblehead. Jesper turned to the mirror. “Saints, I’m glad no one else is going to see me dressed like this. I’d never hear the end of it.”

“You look good, though,” Wylan said.

“I make everything look good,” Jesper responded. “Right, your turn.”

“What?”

“I let you dress me, so I get to dress you. We need to find you something to wear to the archives, too.”

Wylan started to protest, but Jesper pushed him into the dressing room and said he’d be right back. He went through the racks and picked out the brightest, loudest suits he could find. This was going to be hilarious. He was so glad he hadn’t let Kaz kidnap Wylan.

This really had been a weird day.

He returned to the dressing room and put some outfits together. He knocked on the door and passed the first one through to Wylan. He heard the other boy squawk at the outfit, but Wylan hadn’t given it back. Jesper waited for a few minutes and then Wylan came out.

“Jesper, what is this?”

“I believe it is a suit and dress shirt, Wylan. As a proper merchling, you should know that,” Jesper teased. 

Wylan was wearing a red and yellow plaid suit with a green and blue plaid shirt. The colors clashed horribly and Wylan looked miserable. “Next time, please pick one pattern,” he sighed.

“I did! I picked all the plaids,” Jesper pointed out.

“That’s not what I meant!”

“This clearly isn’t working for you, next one!” Jesper waved him back to the dressing room and gave him the second outfit he had picked.

Wylan came back out in a green and gold camouflage suit with a bright orange dress shirt. “Am I supposed to be hiding or indicating construction?” he asked.

“Definitely hiding. Your outfit is still under construction. Next!” 

The third time Wylan came out he was wearing a lime green suit with a bright yellow and green paisley shirt. “This is because I made fun of your board shorts, isn’t   
it?”

“You need all the help you can get, Wylan,” Jesper smirked at him. 

“Well, Jesper, I hate to spoil your fun, but the archives won’t be open all night. Please find something even remotely suitable for me to wear.”

“All of these choices were suitable, they’re suits! If you don’t like them, you can go in your underwear, but then that would hardly be appropriate,” Jesper winked.   
Wylan’s face was the brightest red Jesper had ever seen. “Fine, try this one, then.” Wylan scurried into the dressing room with Jesper’s final selection.

Jesper settled into a chair by the dressing room to wait. Wylan was so easy to rile up, and it was fun to see him flustered. The merchling was cute when he blushed, and he seemed to do that all the time. Jesper thought back to his conversation with Nina at the party at the Exchange the other night. Jesper had told her that Wylan would never give him the time of day. He had never thought in a million years that he would be clothes shopping with Wylan Van Eck so they could follow up on a clue for Kaz’s treasure hunt. He smiled to himself, no complaints here.

Someone cleared their throat. 

Jesper looked up and swore he stopped breathing for a second. Wylan was now wearing a navy blue suit with a light blue and white checkered shirt. He was playing with the buttons on the suit jacket nervously.

“Is this ok?” he asked quietly.

Jesper nodded. “We have a winner!” he announced. “You look great.”

Wylan smiled nervously at him. “We better get going if we want to get to the archives.” He led the way to the counter and had the clerk ring up their purchases on Alys’s tab. They left the store and headed in the direction of the archives.

“Hey, can I ask you a question?” Jesper asked. Wylan nodded. “Why did you come?”

“We have to finish the mission,” Wylan answered.

“No, seriously. Why?”

Wylan hesitated. “I wanted to be useful. My father is always telling me how worthless I am, and, I don’t know, I wanted to prove him wrong. You needed my help, and it was something I could do, so I came.”

Jesper stopped in shock. “Remember when I said your dad was kind of a dick?”

“Yeah?”

“I was wrong. He is a total asshole. You are not worthless. Why would he say something like that?”

“He has his reasons.”

“Well, he’s wrong. We wouldn’t have made it this far without you. You got us on the barge, got us a spiffy change of clothes, and now you’re going to get us into the archives. From what I can see, you have very marketable skills, and you have more than proved your worth,” Jesper said sincerely.

Wylan smiled at him. “Thank you,” he whispered. They stared at each other for a moment before Wylan coughed. “We need to keep moving.” He started walking again, and Jesper followed. 

It was time to see what they had come all this way for.

*-*

Kaz, Inej, Nina, and Matthias were sitting in the crowd watching the movie. Nina leaned over to Inej and whispered something. Inej nodded and both girls stood up. Matthias looked at them, concern on his face. “Where are you two going?”

“I have to pee,” Nina said. 

“You can’t go to the bathrooms, the Dime Lions are blocking them!” he hissed.

“We’re going to circle behind the screen and sneak in the back,” she explained. She and Inej started moving through the crowd, and Matthias followed. He knew Inej and Nina could take care of themselves, but he would feel better knowing they were safe.

They made it to the bathrooms without being seen. Matthias waited for the girls outside, and sighed in relief when they came out. They started to make their way back to their seats, but the path behind the screen was blocked by Big Bolliger.

“Evening, Dregs,” he smirked. They turned around and found that Eamon and Geels had cut off their escape route.

“That was some nice work you did on my boat,” Eamon said.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Matthias said stiffly.

“Where’s Jesper? Not so tough without your boy and his guns, huh?” Geels laughed.

“We can’t fight now, there’s kids here,” Inej tried to reason with them.

“Well, Helvar, how did it feel, wrecking my boat? Are your parents proud? Oh, wait, they’re dead,” Eamon sneered. 

Matthias saw red at the mention of his family and head-butted Eamon. The fight was on. Nina threw a punch at Geels. Inej knelt down and swept Big Bol’s legs out from under him. Matthias traded blows with Eamon and hoped the girls could hold their own. 

Big Bol caught Matthias’s arms and pinned them behind his back. Eamon delivered hit after hit while Matthias tried to break Big Bol’s hold on him. He saw Geels holding Nina in a chokehold, and he couldn’t find Inej anywhere. 

Suddenly a bright orange flame broke out at the bottom of the screen. The fire spread quickly, and it wasn’t long before the screen the movie was playing on was completely ablaze.

“Woah, we gotta go,” Geels yelled. He released Nina and ran. Big Bol and Eamon took off after him, calling “this isn’t over!” as they fled.

Matthias doubled over and Nina caught him. They were both coughing and breathing hard. Inej appeared next to them, flipping a lighter closed. “Are you two all right?” she asked.

“Damn, Inej, who knew you were an arsonist?” Nina grinned.

Kaz limped around the remains of the burnt screen. “I can’t even trust you to go to the bathroom,” he sighed.

“Where were you, Kaz? You could have helped!” Nina called.

Kaz shrugged. “I told you to take care of it yourselves.” 

“Demjin,” Matthias wheezed. 

“You can’t complain about us being horrible anymore, you sank the Dime Lion’s boat,” Kaz smirked.

“Horrible influences, then,” Matthias said.

“While it was Matthias’s idea, technically Nina sank the boat,” Inej pointed out. 

“You are no longer welcome to share waffles with me, Inej Ghafa,” Nina pouted.

The sound of sirens were quickly approaching. “Right, can we spend one evening without having to run from the Stadwatch?” Kaz asked sarcastically. He turned and started for Inej’s car. Inej followed, and Nina helped Matthias.

“It’s not an evening with the Dregs until the Stadwatch are called!” Nina shouted after him. 

Matthias smiled to himself. The Dregs might be horrible people, but they were definitely his people.

*-*

Wylan and Jesper had made it to the University campus in Belendt. The historical archives were kept in the library. Wylan was pointing out the different buildings they passed on their way. 

“You certainly know your way around,” Jesper commented.

“Well, my father went here. And his father, and basically the whole Van Eck line. He used to bring me to alumni events all the time, before he… before we had our falling out,” Wylan said.

“So, you’ll go here too, then? When it’s time for you to go to college?”

“If I go to college, I’ll have to do it on my own. My father told me no college would want me, anyway.”

“Oh right, because your dad’s a dick.” 

Wylan smiled. “What about you? Do you want to go to college?”

“My Da wants me to go, but I don’t know yet,” Jesper shrugged. 

“Speaking of your dad, it’s pretty late. Will he be worried about you?”

“Nah, he’ll think I’m spending the night at Kaz’s. What about douche dad, will he care?”

“I try to stay out of his way as much as possible. But he probably wouldn’t be happy if he knew I had left Ketterdam with a Dreg,” Wylan said.

“A traitor and a Dreg sympathizer? Saints, merchling, you’ve gotta be careful, fraternizing with the enemy like this,” Jesper grinned.

“He already thinks you stole gear from him, maybe he’ll think I was kidnapped,” Wylan laughed.

“Be thankful we didn’t,” Jesper muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing! You came with me, though, so I must be a smooth operator.”

“Hardly,” Wylan snorted. Jesper put a hand to his chest as if Wylan had wounded him. Wylan was still laughing as he led Jesper off the main path and into one of the large buildings. He pushed open the door, and the two boys walked inside. Wylan hesitated in the lobby, and turned to Jesper, suddenly serious. “Jes, why are we here?”

“I already told you I can’t tell you,” Jesper said.

“We’re not going any further until you do,” Wylan countered. He stared up at Jesper defiantly for a moment before his face took on a hurt look. “We’ve come this far. Don’t you trust me?”

Jesper was surprised to find that he did. Wylan had done nothing but help him all day, and he deserved to know what was going on. Jesper took a deep breath, and finally told him, “I’m on a treasure hunt.”

Wylan looked at him incredulously. “You’re serious?”

“Well, technically, I’m helping Kaz on a treasure hunt. He has reason to believe that Bo Yul-Bayur was the sole survivor of the _Jurda Parem_ , and that he got away with thirty million in gold, which is how he bought Bayurhill. Kaz thinks that the location of the gold is hidden in Bo Yul-Bayur’s papers. That’s why we’re here,” Jesper explained.

Wylan gaped at him. “Did you say thirty million?” Jesper nodded. “I’ll go talk to the librarian.”

Jesper watched as Wylan introduced himself to the librarian. After a brief conversation, Wylan waved Jesper over. The librarian took them upstairs and assured them that the Yul-Bayur documents would be brought to them shortly. As promised, a few minutes later she was back with two boxes and two pairs of white gloves.

“The University was so thankful for your father’s donation, Mr. Van Eck. Take all the time you need, but please wear gloves if you touch anything. Let me know when you’re done,” the librarian instructed. With that, they were left alone with the artifacts.

“What are we looking for, exactly?” Wylan asked.

“I’m not sure, Kaz just told me to look for anything that might tell us where Bo Yul-Bayur put the gold,” Jesper replied. He put on a pair of gloves and opened the top box. Wylan watched him take out page after page, but didn’t look at anything himself. “Did you want to help? You could look through the other box?”

Wylan’s eyes widened, and his hands clenched into fists. “I don’t know what you’re looking for, I wouldn’t want to miss anything important,” he stuttered. “What’s all that?”

Jesper pointed to the first page. “This one’s a newspaper article about how Yul-Bayur used the money he got from his crops to pay off indentures and free slaves. I guess it’s what got him killed.” He lifted an old book. “This is an old bible, it’s got a list of Yul-Bayur’s family in it. He had a wife, and a son, Kuwei.”

Wylan pointed to the next page in the box. “Is that a picture of the gold?”

“Yeah, the caption says it’s Ravkan gold, you can tell by the marking stamped into it, see?” Jesper pointed to an image of several stalks of wheat tied together. “It’s the kind of gold that would have been on the _Jurda Parem_.”

Wylan put on the other pair of gloves and opened the other box. “I’ve seen that before,” he mumbled as he looked through the papers in the second box. He pulled out a paper that looked to be a handwritten letter. “Here! This was one of the first things we found when we moved in, and look at the bottom!” Wylan thrust the paper towards Jesper and pointed at an identical image to what was stamped onto the gold.

“It’s a letter to his son, Kuwei,” Jesper said.

“Can you read it?” 

“No.”

Wylan’s head snapped around so fast Jesper thought he might have broken his neck. “What?”

“Well, look, it’s in a different language. I’m not even sure which one. Can you tell what it is?”

“I can’t read Kerch, let alone some other language,” Wylan scoffed. He froze, and his pale face went even whiter when he realized what he’d said.

Jesper turned to face him slowly, afraid that if he moved too fast Wylan would bolt. The other boy looked like a deer caught in headlights. Jesper wasn’t sure what to do. “Wylan?” he asked cautiously.

Wylan’s wide blue eyes met Jesper’s for a second before he buried his face in his hands. “You can’t tell anyone, please, Jesper, if my father knew I’d told someone, even if it was an accident, oh Ghezen I can’t believe I did that, just please…”

“Woah, it’s ok!” Jesper cut off Wylan’s rambling. He grabbed Wylan’s hands and moved them away from his face so they could look at each other. “I won’t tell anyone, I promise.” He held Wylan’s gaze and hoped the other boy knew he was serious. He thought back on their previous conversations. “Is that why your dad’s a dick? Why he said no colleges would want you, that you’re worthless? Because you can’t read?”

Wylan looked down at the table and nodded. Jesper was going to shoot Jan Van Eck.

“Forget everything I said before, your dad is the worst person on the planet. Lots of people can’t read. And there are people that can read that aren’t that smart. If your dad thinks you’re worthless because you can’t read, he’s an idiot,” Jesper declared.

Wylan gave Jesper a watery smile. He leaned his head on Jesper’s shoulder. “Thanks, Jes,” he whispered.

Jesper smiled down at Wylan. “Anytime, Wylan.” He rubbed his thumb over Wylan’s knuckles and realized they were still holding hands. Well, he wouldn’t mention it if Wylan didn’t.

“So, what now? Did you find what you needed?” Wylan asked.

“I’m not sure what Kaz wants, and I’m pretty sure we can’t take this stuff with us,” Jesper sighed.

“You can take pictures of everything with your phone and show them to him,” Wylan suggested.

“See? You are a genius,” Jesper grinned. He took out his phone and started photographing the papers. Hopefully something in here would lead them to Bo Yul-Bayur’s gold.

*-*

Kaz got back to the Slat late. Inej dropped him off and he walked up to the covered porch. Before he could go inside, a voice said, “You’re a hard man to track down, Kaz.”

Kaz whirled around and raised his cane to attack whoever was on the porch. 

“Woah, easy, it’s just me, Rotty,” Sheriff Rotty yelled, holding his hands up placatingly.

Kaz dropped his cane back to his side. “Rotty, you know better than to sneak up on me. How long have you been here?” Kaz growled.

“An hour or two, I had some questions for you.”

“That’s twice this week, Sheriff. I should charge the Stadwatch a consulting fee.”

“Well you and your friends have been busy. What with the shipwreck, and the lighthouse, and don’t think I didn’t hear about the gunshots at the Exchange or the fire at the outdoor movie tonight,” Rotty said, giving Kaz an unimpressed look.

“I can honestly say I had nothing to do with those last two,” Kaz smirked.

“You remember these two?” Rotty asked. He pulled some pictures out of his jacket pocket and passed them to Kaz.

Kaz frowned. “These were the men that chased me through town.”

“Know anything else about them?”

“They shot at us on the marsh, and they broke into the Slat and stole from me. Do you know who they are?”

“Were, they’re dead.”

Kaz raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“Yeah, somebody gaffed ‘em and threw ‘em to the sharks. Whoever did this is still out there, and they might come for you and your friends next,” Rotty warned.

“Why would you think that?”

“Did you really think you were the only ones after the _Jurda Parem_? And yeah, I know about that too.”

“I can assure you, Sheriff, I am not actively looking for the _Jurda Parem_. Thank you for the warning, but I can take care of myself.”

“Suit yourself,” Rotty sighed. He walked down the porch stairs and off into the night. 

Kaz watched as Sheriff Rotty disappeared into the shadows. He contemplated the new information. While he had two less enemies to worry about, he now had an unknown player in the game. Someone else was looking for the gold, and they were willing to kill for it. Jesper had better bring back some good news.

*-*

Dawn was just breaking over the horizon when Jesper and Wylan boarded a ferry back to Ketterdam. Wylan watched as Jesper checked that he had his phone for the hundredth time. He followed Jesper to one of the benches under the covered part of the ferry. They didn’t have long to wait before the whistle blew and the ferry started moving.

“Well, mission complete, we did it!” Wylan smiled.

“Yeah, we did!” Jesper cheered. “And I, for one, learned a lot. You are not at all what I thought you’d be.”

“Oh? And what did you think?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

“Probably what everyone else thinks. Spoiled Mercher’s kid, stuck up brat,” Wylan guessed.

“I mean, I figured I’d at least have to apologize to a waiter for your rude behavior,” Jesper laughed.

“Please, I was taught manners, I know how to behave,” Wylan rolled his eyes and grinned. “You know, you’re not what I expected either. You seem like this laid-back surfer bro, but you are way weirder. Very ADHD.”

“You’ve got me there,” Jesper said.

“But you care a lot more than I thought you would. You came all this way to help your friend. And you really helped me even though you barely know me.”

“You forgot to mention how devilishly handsome I am,” Jesper winked.

“We were talking about unexpected things,” Wylan mumbled. He could feel his cheeks burning.

Jesper smiled. “Well, here’s to a job well done, and breaking expectations!” He raised a pretend glass, and Wylan bumped their hands together in a fake toast. They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the waves. 

Jesper cleared his throat and Wylan turned to him. Jesper kept his eyes on the water. Wylan saw the other boy fidgeting with his hands. “So, what happens when we get back?” he finally asked.

“What do you mean?” Wylan’s brow furrowed.

“Like, between us, what happens?”

“I guess… nothing changes?” Wylan hesitated, unsure of what Jesper wanted to hear. “You go back to your friends and your treasure hunt, and I go back to avoiding my father.”

“Pretend it never happened, then,” Jesper said.

Wylan looked at Jesper, trying to figure him out. The taller boy still hadn’t looked at him, but his hands had curled into fists and he had set his jaw. Wylan had thought Jesper would have relaxed at his answer, happy in the knowledge that he could be free to go back to his normal life before Wylan had demanded a place in it. But Jesper didn’t look relaxed, he looked angry.

“Yeah,” Wylan said. He waited a minute, but couldn’t stop from adding “I had a good day, though.”

Jesper laughed bitterly. “Sure, me too,” he said.

The light, fun atmosphere of a few moments ago had completely disappeared. Jesper continued staring at the water, refusing to acknowledge Wylan anymore. Wylan hated it, but it was what Jesper wanted. He had to get used to being strangers with Jesper again. They spent the rest of the boat ride in icy silence.

When the ferry finally docked back in Ketterdam, Jesper and Wylan disembarked together. They walked down the pier, and Wylan knew their time was coming to an end. “Jesper, I’m glad the mission went well, and I wish you the best of luck on your treasure hunt. It’s been a pleasure working with you,” Wylan said. Remembering the awkwardness of the high five, he stuck out his hand for a handshake. Jesper stared at his hand before shaking it. Wylan cursed himself for being so formal.

“The pleasure was mine,” Jesper answered stiffly. 

Wylan looked up at Jesper, wishing he could say more. But he had already overstayed his welcome. Jesper had friends and things to do, he didn’t need Wylan taking up any more of his time. Wylan swallowed, nodded, and started to walk away.

“Wait, seriously? That’s it?!” Jesper cried after him. Wylan turned back to him, trying not to get too hopeful. “You really want to walk away and pretend this never happened?”

“Isn’t that what you want?” Wylan asked.

“Wylan, I just had the best day of my life!” Jesper exclaimed. He ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I don’t care if my friends see us, or if your dad finds out, or whatever. Yesterday, I didn’t even know who you were. Today, I’m like, wow, Wylan Van Eck. And that’s rare, like bigfoot evidence, or a blind person seeing for the first time, or Kaz Brekker laughing, which I know you don’t know Kaz well, but trust me, it’s rare! So, I can’t walk away, I can’t pretend this wasn’t real…”

Wylan walked quickly back to Jesper and reached up to cup his face with his hands. He pulled Jesper in and kissed him. Jesper froze for a second, before wrapping his arms around Wylan’s waist and returning the kiss fervently. Ghezen, he was glad Jesper had stopped him from walking away. Wylan pulled away for a second and gasped “I didn’t want to pretend either.”

Jesper smiled and pulled Wylan back in. They kissed until they had to come up for air. 

“Let’s try this again. What happens now?” Jesper asked.

“It’s a small island, and I do like to avoid my father,” Wylan replied.

“So do I, let’s avoid your dad together,” Jesper grinned.

“For now, I think you need to get back to your friends. Kaz is probably waiting to hear about what you found,” Wylan reminded.

“You’re right. But I promise we’ll meet up later, I’ll come find you,” Jesper said.

“Ok,” Wylan agreed. He leaned up to kiss Jesper one more time, and then turned and walked up the pier. Later couldn’t come soon enough.

*-*

Somewhere in Ketterdam, a man was looking at the back of a hidden compartment of a compass. The word Rietveld was etched there. The man put the backing back on the compass, and wrapped it in a red cloth. He hid it inside a lockbox. Then, he picked up a long stick, cleaned the end, and put it away.

It was a gaff hook.


	5. Hringkalla

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The updated tag for child abuse is related to a scene in this chapter. Jan slaps Wylan in the face and yells at him. Just as a heads up!  
> Thank you to those who are reading. Special thanks to my sister for continuing to beta this fic and for listening to me talk about it constantly.   
> I still own nothing.

Specht and Rotty walked into the station together the next morning. Specht followed Rotty into his office and shut the door behind them.

“How’d it go at the movies? Fire go out all right?” Sheriff Rotty questioned.

“Yes, sir, but they’re gonna have to get a new screen,” Specht reported. “Did you find Brekker?”

“Yep, had a chat with him last night. He didn’t know much about our two dead guys, but he did say they came after him three times.”

“What’s our next step?”

“I want you to keep your eyes on Brekker. I think he knows more than he’s saying. If we watch him, we might get lucky,” Rotty said. Specht nodded and left to set up his stakeout.

*-*

Jesper had gone straight to the Slat after leaving the ferry dock. Wylan had been right, Kaz would want to know what they had found at the archives as soon as possible. The sooner he talked to Kaz, the sooner he could clean up and go find his merchling. Saints, Wylan was really his merchling. Jesper smiled as he walked into the Slat.

“Kaz, I come bearing gifts!” Jesper called.

“I’m in the office!” Kaz shouted back.

Jesper went straight to the office. He took out his phone and opened his photos before passing it to Kaz. “Here it is, as requested, the documents of Bo Yul-Bayur.”

“What took you so long?” Kaz grumbled. He took the phone and began looking at the pictures.

“Well, Van Eck donated all this stuff to the historical archives at the University of Belendt, so I had to go on a field trip. I came here as soon as I got back.”

“Is that why you’re dressed like you went to a fancy horse race?” Kaz smirked.

Jesper looked down at himself. He had forgotten he was still in the seersucker suit Wylan had picked out for him. He had a few changes of clothes at the Slat, so he left Kaz to look at the pictures while he freshened up and changed. 

Jesper went back to the office. “So, did I do good?”

“This letter is written in a strange dialect. Yul-Bayur wrote to his son in a weird language on the day he died. See the date there?”

“Yeah, Wylan pointed that letter out to me, too. He said the drawing of wheat at the bottom matched the image that was stamped into the gold,” Jesper said.

Kaz looked up at him sharply. “Wylan went with you to Belendt?”

“He got me in to see the documents in the library’s archives,” Jesper explained.

“Did you tell him about the gold?” Kaz glared.

“Relax, Kaz, he doesn’t know anything,” Jesper soothed.

“He must know something if he showed you the letter because the symbol looked like the one on the gold.”

Jesper winced. “Ok, so I may have mentioned the gold. But he won’t tell anyone!”

“You better hope he doesn’t. For his sake, and yours,” Kaz threatened.

“So, do you know what the letter says?”

“No, but Nina is quite good with languages. Let’s hope she can tell us what it says.” Kaz exited the office with Jesper on his heels. They went out to the van and drove to Nina’s house. Kaz sent Jesper to knock on the door. When Nina answered, Jesper led her back to the van.

“It’s way too early for your shenanigans, Kaz, what do you want?”

“A translation,” Kaz gestured for Jesper to give Nina his phone. Nina looked at the screen and scanned the contents of the letter.

“This is in a rare Shu dialect. Why am I reading a letter from Bo Yul-Bayur to his dear son Kuwei dated over a hundred years ago?”

“You can read it, then,” Kaz prompted.

“Ugh, fine. It says: ‘To my beloved son, Kuwei, I am waiting the hour of my public murder with great composure of mind and cheerfulness knowing I am soon bound for glory.’ What the hell kind of letter is this?” Nina asked.

“Bo Yul-Bayur was lynched for releasing slaves,” Kaz explained. “Continue.”

“Lovely. ‘Do not nurse grief to vengeance, but instead, trust in the Saints with all your heart for they doeth all things well. Until we meet again in the afterlife. Your loving father, Bo Yul-Bayur.’ There’s a P.S., but it looks like some kind of planter’s log.”

“Read that, too,” Kaz said.

“Ok, then. ‘Matters applicable to the property and estate. Tobacco, cotton, corn, tomato. Harvest the wheat near the water in Parcel Nine forthwith.’ That’s it,” Nina concluded. She looked up at the two boys. “Now, if you two don’t mind, Hringkalla is tonight and Inej is bringing me as her guest, so I need to start preparing.”

“Shit, Hringkalla is tonight? I’ve gotta get home, my da will need help getting the food ready,” Jesper said.

Kaz waved them off. “Fine, go. Jesper, I’m keeping your phone. I’m not done with these pictures yet and since everything is still down after Alina, I can’t send them to myself.”

Jesper nodded and ran off in the direction of his house. Nina went back inside. Kaz started the van and headed back to the Slat.

Before he could turn onto his street, a person ran into the road. Kaz slammed on his brakes and glared at the person blocking his path. He rolled down the window.

“What are you doing, Helvar?”

“You can’t go back to the Slat,” Matthias called.

“Why not?”

“There’s a car parked by the house. I didn’t get close enough to see who was inside, but someone is watching,” Matthias informed. 

“As it happens, I need to go back to the library. Care to join me? You can keep lookout while I research,” Kaz said.

Matthias huffed and went to the passenger side of the van. Kaz backed up and went the way he had come from to avoid being seen by whoever was watching the Slat. 

“Who do you think it is?” Matthias asked after several minutes of riding in silence.

“Who?”

“The car at the Slat, who do you think is watching you? Perhaps those two men that stole your brother’s boxes?”

“No, they’re dead,” Kaz said.

Matthias whirled to face Kaz. “The men who shot at us in the marsh are dead?”

“Yes. Rotty paid me a visit last night, told me the men were murdered.”

“Murdered?! Djel, what have we gotten ourselves into?”

“Think about it, though. If someone is willing to kill for the gold, then it must be out there.”

“Have you lost your mind? People have been trying to find this treasure for over a hundred years. You think you will be the one to find it? You have tricks up your sleeves, demjin, but none that impressive.”

“You underestimate my skills, Helvar,” Kaz grinned. “I have a plan. Let me tell you what I’ve found out, and you tell me if I’ve run out of tricks.”

*-*

Sheriff Rotty walked into an old fishing shack. A man was washing his hands, a hood pulled up over his face. Rotty walked up to a table in the middle of the shack. The compass Kaz had given him was on the table. A phone book was open beside it, the name Rietveld was highlighted. The few entries had been crossed out.

Rotty cleared his throat. “I just wanted to tell you that we’re even. I appreciate your help in the past, but I don’t owe you anything anymore. I need to do my job now.”

The man in the hood nodded once, acknowledging the Sheriff. 

Rotty left the shack, sending up a quick prayer for forgiveness, and headed back to the station.

*-*

Wylan was sitting in the kitchen in Bayurhill, thumbing through the pictures on his phone, smiling at the memories from his trip to Belendt with Jesper. He had only taken a few pictures. One of Jesper in his new suit, one of Jesper carefully taking photos of the documents for Kaz, one of Jesper waiting for the ferry in the soft light of dawn. And finally, a selfie that Jesper had taken of the two of them. He had seen Wylan sneaking a photo and had stolen the phone to take a picture of them together. Wylan almost didn’t recognize himself in the picture. Jesper had said something outrageous that had made him laugh. Wylan couldn’t remember the last time he had been so happy. Finding out that Jesper had felt the same way had been the best surprise of his life. 

The sound of footsteps coming into the kitchen brought him back to the present. He hurriedly stashed his phone in his pocket and tensed in preparation for who might be coming into the room. Wylan sighed in relief to see that it was Alys. While his stepmother was silly, she was sweet and didn’t seem to hate him the way his father did. 

Alys was dressed in a bright pink ballgown with a sparkly tiara. Wylan wasn’t sure what the occasion was, but with Alys it could be anything. He had once seen her wear a blue silk evening gown to walk Rufus up and down the block.

Alys looked Wylan up and down in confusion. “Is that what you’re wearing?”

“Um, yes?” Wylan was just as confused.

“Well, it’s just that Hringkalla is a bit fancy for that kind of outfit, don’t you think?”

Hringkalla. Wylan had completely forgotten. In the whirlwind of yesterday’s trip and this morning’s kisses and Jesper’s promise to find him later, the biggest party in Ketterdam had completely slipped his mind. 

“Oh, um, I don’t think I want to go,” Wylan stammered. Jesper had said he would come to find him, and Wylan didn’t want to miss him.

“But you have to!” Alys cried, her eyes widening. “Hringkalla is the best party of the summer! And Jan is being crowned the Knight of the Flying Fish!”

“What’s the matter, Alys?” a cold voice called from the door to the kitchen. 

Wylan whirled to face his father. “I…”

“Wylan said he’s not coming to Hringkalla!”

Jan came further into the kitchen. He smiled at Alys, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Alys, it appears you’ve forgotten your gloves,” he said.

Alys looked down at her hands. “You’re right! I have to go get them!” She turned back to Wylan. “Please come tonight, it’ll be so much fun!” She floated out of the kitchen, leaving Wylan alone with his father.

“Sir, I…” he tried.

That was all he got out before his father smacked him across the face. Wylan lost his balance on the stool he had been sitting on and toppled to the floor. He looked up to see his father towering over him, face murderous.

“Get up, you pathetic imbecile,” his father seethed. Wylan scrambled to his feet. “Tonight is a very important event for me, and as much as I loathe having you for a son, the community will expect you to make an appearance. Get dressed and be ready to leave in fifteen minutes.”

“Yes, sir, sorry,” Wylan said quickly, and scurried past his father to put on a suit.

“And Wylan,” Jan called. Wylan stopped in the hall and turned back to his father. “Had I known you would need a personal invitation to Hringkalla, I suppose I could have put in a written request for your presence. At least then you’d have an excuse for not being ready, since Ghezen knows a moron like you would not have been able to read it.”

Wylan flinched. He hoped Jesper would forgive him for not being available today, but he wasn’t strong enough to face his father’s wrath. Wylan ran up the stairs to get ready. 

*-*

Jesper and Colm pulled up to the Ice Court Country Club in Colm’s truck. Colm catered part of Hringkalla every year, providing a delicious assortment of grilled fish and meat. Jesper had helped the last few years, carrying equipment and preparing food for the grill. Colm stopped the truck by the entrance to the venue, and the Faheys got out to unload.

“I just don’t understand where you were, Jes. You know how important Hringkalla is,” Colm said as he opened the truck’s liftgate. 

Jesper sighed and climbed over the side of the truck into the bed. “I know Da, I’m sorry. I’ve been helping Kaz with something and the date snuck up on me.” He slid one of the coolers to the edge of the truck bed and helped his Da put it on the cart. 

“Ok, Jes. I really do appreciate you helping me out.”

“Of course, Da, you know I like working with you,” Jesper smiled.

Colm turned to the cart, now stocked with coolers, and began wheeling it to the grilling station. Jesper’s smile faded. He hoped Wylan would come to Hringkalla, seeing as this was a Mercher party, so he’d be able to keep his promise. His smile returned at the thought of Wylan, and he followed his dad to fire up the grill.

*-*

Inej was staring at herself in the mirror when Nina came bustling in. Nina was wearing a red spaghetti-strap dress with a plunging neckline and a slit that came up just above her left knee. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders in beach waves and her make-up was done to perfection. 

“You look radiant, Nina,” Inej complimented, looking at her best friend behind her in the mirror.

“Of course I do. You look…” Nina looked up and saw Inej in a purple and blue lace tea-length dress with a high illusion neckline and three quarter length sleeves. Her hair was in a simple braid and she had no make-up on. “Well, it’s a wonderful start, Inej, but you have to at least let me do something with your hair.”

Inej nodded and sat down in her desk chair. Nina took out the braid Inej had started with and got to work. 

“I just don’t understand Merchers. Half the island still has no power after the hurricane, and they’re still having the most extravagant party they can throw,” Inej grumbled.

“Speak for yourself. I’m going to eat so many crab cakes,” Nina said.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get Matthias in.”

“I’m not. The Dime Lions will be in attendance tonight, we don’t need to start a gang war at Hringkalla. Besides, I love Matthias, but I look way too good in this dress and his Fjerdan sensibilities would not be able to handle it.”

“It’s true, you would give him a heart attack dressed like that,” Inej laughed.

“Speaking of the others, have you talked to Kaz or Jesper today?” Nina asked. Inej shook her head and Nina continued. “They showed up at my place this morning with some weird letter that they asked me to translate for them.”

“Jesper was with him?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Kaz told me Jesper was doing a job for him last night. He said it had something to do with the gold from the _Jurda Parem_.”

“I don’t see how that letter connects to the gold. It was some man’s dying letter to his son,” Nina mused. She turned Inej to face the mirror again. “There, what do you think?” Nina had given Inej a braided crown hairstyle, with a few loose tendrils around her face. Inej smiled. Nina clapped her hands. “Right, we have a party to get to. Let’s go see if your parents are ready!” She linked arms with Inej, and the two girls prepared to see how the other half lived. 

Inej’s parents were waiting for them by the door, ready to go. Mrs. Ghafa complimented the girls and Mr. Ghafa snapped a few photos. Then they all got into the car and drove to the Ice Court. 

The party was already in full swing when they arrived. There were people in line at the bar, others were getting food, and there were still more mingling around the dance floor. Nina took the lead, dragging Inej with her, while Mr. and Mrs. Ghafa came behind them. 

Nina pointed, “Look, Mr. Fahey is at the grill! And Jesper’s with him, come on, he’ll get us food so we don’t have to wait in this line!” Nina pulled Inej over to where Jesper was shucking oysters. She cleared her throat and put on a Ravkan accent. “Excuse me, sir, do you think you could speed up? Some of us are positively famished,” she drawled.

Jesper looked up in annoyance before realizing who it was and smiling at the girls. “Anything for the most beautiful girls here,” he said, trying an accent as well.

“Saints, Jes, that accent was terrible,” Nina laughed.

“Not all of us are as gifted with languages as you are Nina,” Jesper pouted.

Inej looked around nervously. “Are the Dime Lions here? Have they given you any trouble?”

“They stopped by earlier for food, I let Da serve them,” Jesper shrugged.

“Let’s just try to keep things civil tonight,” Inej said.

Jesper nodded, then asked “Have either of you heard from Kaz?”

“Not since this morning, but I’m sure he’ll be dragging us back into his treasure hunt soon enough,” Nina rolled her eyes.

“Do you know anything more about the letter Nina translated?” Inej questioned.

Before Jesper could answer, a short fanfare started playing and the Merchers applauded as the guest of honor arrived. Jan Van Eck entered through the double doors with Alys on his arm. Behind them came Wylan, looking for all the world like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Nina heard Jesper gasp and turned to look at him. Jesper was gazing at Wylan like he hung the moon and the stars. Nina tapped Inej on the shoulder and pointed to Jesper. The two girls watched Jesper for a moment then gave each other amused looks.

“Jes, I thought you said Wylan wasn’t your merchling,” Nina smirked.

Jesper’s eyes snapped back to the girls. He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, embarrassed that they had caught him staring. “Well, he wasn’t then…”

Nina’s mouth dropped open in shock before she squealed in delight. “Tell us everything!” Inej smiled and nodded beside her.

“There isn’t much to tell. I mean, we haven’t really gotten a chance to talk about what’s going on, you know?”

“Boo!” Nina cried.

Inej hushed Nina before she turned to Jesper. “What Nina means to say is that we’re happy for you, whatever might be happening.”

Colm called for Jesper to bring some more meat to the grill, so Jesper gave Inej and Nina some food and wished them a pleasant evening.

Nina walked with Inej over to one of the tables lining the dance floor. “Do you think if we asked Wylan he would tell us what’s going on between him and Jesper?”

“Nina!” Inej hissed, elbowing her playfully. “Jesper will tell us when he’s ready.”

“Fine,” Nina sighed. She began eating her food, thinking about the new development in Jesper’s love life. While Kaz’s hunt for treasure had been unsuccessful so far, it seemed Jesper may have found his own.

*-*

Kaz and Matthias pulled up to the entrance gate of the Ice Court. They parked the van by the main gate and circled around to sneak in on foot. They had stopped at Matthias’s house where Kaz made Matthias put on black dress pants, a white dress shirt, and a black vest. The plan was for Matthias to go into the party as a waiter and get messages to the other Dregs so they could restart their search for the gold. Kaz was already in a black suit with a black dress shirt, but that was typical for the demjin.

“Are you sure I should be going in there? If the Dime Lions see me…” Matthias said as they walked up the long driveway toward the country club.

“So don’t be seen,” Kaz interrupted. 

“And why can’t you do this?” Matthias asked.

Kaz just gave Matthias a look before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Matthias. “One more thing. Get this to Wylan Van Eck.”

Matthias thought his eyes might pop out of his head. “Why?”

“He has something we need.” With that, Kaz shoved Matthias forward and sank into the shadows.

Matthias straightened, put the note in his pocket, and walked toward the building. He picked up an empty tray by the bar and began collecting glasses that had been left behind on tables. He scanned the crowd, looking for the other Dregs or Wylan.

Someone came up behind him and whispered “Boo!” in his ear. Matthias nearly dropped the tray of glasses as he spun around to see who had approached him. He was only slightly relieved to discover it was Jesper.

“Do not sneak up on me right now, Jesper,” He growled.

“What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like a waiter?” Jesper chuckled.

“Kaz says we all need to meet, now. The hunt for the gold is back on.”

Jesper whistled. “He must have figured out something from the Yul-Bayur documents.”

“Have you seen Nina and Inej? He wants to tell us all at once. He also has a note for Wylan.”

“Wylan? What does he want with Wylan?”

“He gave me this and said to give it to him.” Matthias pulled the note out of his pocket.

Jesper snatched it from Matthias’s fingers. “I’ll take care of this, you find the girls.”

Matthias nodded and they separated. He didn’t get far before he was intercepted again. This time by a not so friendly face.

“Hey, Dreg, think you can get us some hors d’oeuvres?” Eamon sneered. Big Bolliger and Geels flanked him on either side. 

“I am afraid I ran out, allow me to go get you some,” Matthias answered, trying to get past them.

“I don’t know, maybe we should come with you,” Geels said. 

Matthias cursed under his breath before he took off running, the Dime Lions right on his tail. Matthias went inside the building, entering the dining room. He pulled empty chairs out from tables to slow the Dime Lions down and looked for a place to hide. He ducked into the men’s locker room and raced toward the stalls. He cursed again when he found all three were occupied. 

“I don’t think there’s any food in here, Matthias,” Eamon called from the doorway. Matthias looked toward the door, not noticing Big Bolliger come around the row of lockers until it was too late. Big Bol trapped Matthias in a headlock. Matthias immediately gripped the forearm pressed against his throat. He tried to escape Big Bol’s hold, but it was no use. He was stuck.

Geels and Eamon stalked toward him. “What do you think, Eamon, should we start with his face or his stomach?” Geels asked.

“Three against one, very brave of you,” Matthias snarled.

“Looks like we got you pretty good last night,” Eamon motioned to the bruises littering Matthias’s face from the fight at the movie. “But I think we can do some more damage here. Big Bol, hold him steady.”

The lights inside the locker room flicked off. Big Bol’s hold on Matthias loosened as the Dime Lions looked for the source of the sudden darkness, and Matthias took the opening. He stepped on Big Bol’s foot and elbowed him in the gut before throwing the boy over his shoulder and into Geels. He turned to take on Eamon, but was stopped by a whooshing sound. Eamon crumpled, revealing a shadow behind where Eamon had been standing. The shadow moved back toward the wall and turned on the lights.

Kaz sighed as he looked at the unconscious Dime Lions. “So much for inconspicuous.”

“Why did you send me in here if you were coming in, too?” Matthias grumbled.

“I’m still mad that you sank their boat without consulting me.”

“I realize it was a terrible idea and I apologize. Can we move on now?”

Kaz considered him for a moment before one of the Dime Lions let out a groan. “We need to get out of here. Have you found the others yet?”

“Jesper went to find Wylan, I was looking for the girls.”

“Then I suppose we should rejoin the party,” Kaz said. He limped out of the locker room. 

Matthias sighed and followed Kaz out the door. The sooner they left this party, the better.

*-*

Jesper weaved between partygoers, scanning the crowd for a head of red-gold curls. Jan Van Eck was still mingling with other guests, so he knew Wylan hadn’t left yet. If he had to guess, Wylan had found a quiet corner to hide in. He headed for the front of the country club, which was closer to the parking lot and much quieter than the patio area.

Jesper’s breath caught when he finally found the other boy. Wylan looked amazing in a light blue suit coat, khaki pants, white shirt, and purple bow tie. The smaller boy was standing with his back to Jesper, staring out at the water of the lake by the parking lot. Jesper smiled to himself, unable to resist sneaking up on Wylan. He crept up behind him and whispered in his ear, “Found you!”

Wylan jumped so high they were almost at eye level with each other. He calmed when he figured out who it was, and then smacked Jesper on the arm. “Don’t do that! Ghezen!”

“Saints, your face!” Jesper cackled, pretending to wipe away tears from laughing so hard. 

Wylan tried to scowl at him, but his features quickly took on a soft smile. “You came.”

“Well, I promised I’d find you, didn’t I?” Jesper smiled. He wrapped his arms around Wylan’s shoulders, pulling him into a tight embrace. Wylan hugged back just as tight.

“I was so worried you’d come to my house and I would miss you,” Wylan’s voice was muffled from being buried in Jesper’s chest. 

Jesper kissed the top of Wylan’s head. “It all worked out. I was so glad to see you when you walked in. I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” Wylan looked up at Jesper. “So, what happened? Did Kaz find what he was looking for?”

Jesper’s eyes widened as he remembered the note he’d taken from Matthias. He pulled away from Wylan to dig into his pocket. “I almost forgot, Kaz wanted to give you this.” He opened the note and read the words out loud. “Wylan, As I understand Jesper has already involved you in this, I have a request. Bring the original plat map of Bayurhill to the Crow’s Nest tonight at midnight. Don’t tell anyone, and don’t be late.”

“What’s a plat map?” Wylan asked, brow furrowed.

“Probably some map of the property, like an original blueprint or something,” Jesper said. 

“My father has the original maps of the property in his office. He kept them for his personal records.”

“Do you think you can get it?”

Wylan hesitated, then steeled his gaze and nodded. “Will you be there at midnight?”

“I’ll see if I can talk Kaz into letting me come meet you,” Jesper said. “For now, though, I think we should pick up where we left off at the dock. I’ve been thinking about kissing you again all day.” 

Wylan blushed and looked around. He leaned in and Jesper closed the distance between them. He knew it had only happened a few times, but kissing Wylan was quickly becoming his favorite thing.

“Wylan? Are you out here?”

Jesper and Wylan sprang apart, Jesper hurried to hide behind the pillar they were standing by. He watched as Wylan smoothed his suit jacket and walked to meet a man by the door. “Yes, Mr. Rollins?” Wylan asked.

“They want to take some pictures of the Van Eck family, your father was looking for you,” Pekka Rollins said. Jesper recognized the man now, he was Jan Van Eck’s business partner. Wylan nodded and followed Pekka back into the Ice Court.

Jesper had successfully relayed his message, and if everything went well, he would be seeing Wylan again soon. Jesper snuck around the side of the building, heading back to his dad and the grill. As he rounded the corner, he ran into Matthias and Kaz.

“Hey guys, what’s up?” Jesper greeted.

“Mandatory Dregs meeting, one hour, Rixton’s Cove,” Kaz answered. “Matthias said you were delivering my message to Wylan.”

“Mission accomplished,” Jesper smiled. “Dinner’s winding down, I’ll meet you after I help Da clean up.”

“Don’t be late,” Kaz said. He and Matthias disappeared in the direction of the main gate. 

Jesper went back to his Da, smiling at the memory of seeing Wylan again. Colm looked at Jesper as he came back. “Having a good night?”

“It’s been great, yeah,” he answered honestly. 

Colm smiled. “I’m glad. You ready to pack up?” 

Jesper nodded. As he helped his Da load up their cart to take back to the truck, he wondered what Kaz wanted to meet about. His curiosity was overwhelmed by the excitement of meeting Wylan at midnight. The party was over, but his night was just getting started.

*-*

Kaz and Matthias were waiting for the others at Rixton’s Cove. The hour Kaz had given them was almost up, and they should be arriving soon. Nina and Inej appeared a few minutes later, having stopped to change into casual clothes. It wasn’t much longer before Jesper ran down the path.

“So, what’s this mandatory meeting about?” Jesper asked as he sat down on a fallen log.

Kaz waited a moment to make sure everyone was paying attention. “The gold never went down with the _Jurda Parem_ ,” he announced.

Nina rolled her eyes. “Here we go again.”

“Wait, hear him out,” Matthias said. Inej, Nina, and Jesper all gave Matthias a surprised look and then turned back to Kaz.

“It’s been here this whole time. The gold is on the island.”

“Saints,” Inej breathed.

“I would like everyone to note my skepticism,” Nina declared.

“Noted, but perhaps you’d like to see the evidence,” Kaz said.

“Oh, go on then,” Nina waved him on.

“You all remember the envelope Jordie left for me in the Rietveld crypt,” Kaz said as he produced the envelope. “Inside the envelope was the map which led us to the wreck, the original blueprints of the ship, and the passenger manifest. Jordie found the complete list of people who were on the boat, which included the names of any slaves aboard. Inej, please read the last name on the complete manifest.” 

Inej took the list from Kaz and read “Bo Yul-Bayur.”

“Wait, the guy who wrote the letter?” Nina asked.

“The very same. Bo Yul-Bayur was a slave on the _Jurda Parem_ , but he didn’t go down with the ship. No, he survived, and used the gold to buy his freedom and his own land. Now, a few years back, when the Van Eck family bought that old house in the Geldin District, Bayurhill, a number of old documents were found from the original owner of the house. That man was named…”

“Bo Yul-Bayur,” Jesper finished for him.

“Exhibit B, a copy of the letter Bo Yul-Bayur wrote on the day of his death, courtesy of Jesper’s trip to Belendt, and translated by Nina,” Kaz showed them the letter. “Nina, would you read the last line of the letter for the group.” He handed Nina Jesper’s phone with the picture of the letter lighting up the screen.

“The letter was written in a Shu dialect, but the translation is ‘harvest the wheat in Parcel Nine near the water,’” Nina obliged.

“Except there was no wheat grown in Bayurhill. Matthias and I checked this afternoon at the library. Bayurhill produced tobacco, cotton, corn, and tomatoes, not wheat. Jesper, what was stamped into the bars of gold?”

“It was a picture of wheat stalks tied together,” Jesper answered. 

“Wheat is code for gold. All we need is an original survey map of the property, and we can find Parcel Nine, the water, and the gold,” Kaz grinned.

The Dregs stared at Kaz in awe.

“I would like to rescind my skepticism,” Nina said.

“So, what’s the plan?” Inej asked.

“Excellent question. Wylan Van Eck will be meeting us tonight. He will bring us the original plat map of Bayurhill…”

“Wylan? How does he fit into this?” Nina interrupted.

“Wylan’s family owns Bayurhill, so he has access,” Kaz explained.

“Yeah, he went with me to Belendt yesterday and got me into the archives to see the letters and stuff,” Jesper added.

“That’s what happened between you and Wylan? Dammit Jes, I thought you kissed him or something,” Nina groaned.

“I mean, that might have happened, too,” Jesper smiled sheepishly. 

“I don’t recall giving you those instructions,” Kaz deadpanned.

“No offense, but should we really be involving a merchling in our plans?” Inej asked.

“How much does Wylan know?” Matthias said.

“I only told him what he needed to know! I was using him for access to the letter, like Kaz told me,” Jesper defended.

“Oh, there was an access, all right,” Nina snickered.

“Shut up, Nina. You guys know me, do you really think I would fall for a merchling?” Jesper snapped.

“Do you want us to answer that?” Inej raised her eyebrows at Jesper, amused.

“That’s enough,” Kaz called. “Wylan can get us information we need, therefore we are meeting him tonight. Unless you all don’t want to find thirty million in gold?” No one spoke, so Kaz continued. “Right. I told Wylan to meet us at the Crow’s Nest at midnight, so we’d better get moving.”

Kaz led the way out of the clearing, the other Dregs following him. They were one step closer to the map, which would bring them ever closer to the treasure. Time to pick up the key that would unlock the mystery.

*-*

Jan and Pekka walked up the stairs to Jan’s office in Bayurhill. They had been in the living room, enjoying a beer together after Hringkalla, when Pekka asked Jan about one of their properties. Jan had the paperwork in his office, and led the way. 

Jan opened the door to find Wylan digging around in one of his drawers. “What are you doing in here?” he questioned icily.

Wylan spun around with a terrified look on his face. He was clutching a long black folder. “I… I needed to look at the original plat map of Bayurhill, sir,” he stuttered.

“Why? School is not in session, and none of your tutors informed me of a geography project,” Jan said, eyes narrowing as he studied his son.

“It’s for a friend,” Wylan explained.

Jan snatched the folder out of Wylan’s hand and opened it. He rifled through the papers and pulled out the plat map. “Tell your friend to be careful with this. I expect it back in pristine condition.”

Wylan looked from the map to his father in shock. He nodded, accepting the map before rushing out of the office.

“Pekka, you’re sure you saw Wylan with Jesper Fahey at Hringkalla?” Jan asked. Pekka nodded. “Tell your boys to follow Wylan. I believe he is delivering that map to Kaz Brekker, and I want to know what’s so special about it.” Pekka nodded again and left the office.

Jan went to his office door and locked it. He crossed the room to his wall safe and opened it. He took out a folded red cloth. He laid the cloth on his desk and opened it to reveal the object tucked inside. Kaz’s compass glinted in the dim light. If Jan was right, Wylan was delivering the map to the Dregs, and somehow it would lead them to the gold from the _Jurda Parem_. 

His idiot son might not be so worthless, after all.

*-*

Kaz stopped the van at one of the entrances to Crow’s Nest State Park. Jesper slid the door open, jumped out, and turned back to look at his friends.

“So, um, Kaz, I was thinking…” Jesper began.

“Wow, Jes, I didn’t know you could do that!” Nina gasped. 

“I was thinking,” Jesper continued, throwing a glare at Nina, “that maybe I should go meet Wylan by myself? He’s skittish, we don’t want to scare him off.”

Kaz considered Jesper for a moment. “Get the map and that’s it. We take what we need and then cut him loose.”

“Right, just using him for information,” Jesper agreed. He felt a pang in his heart at the thought of doing that to Wylan and knew he couldn’t. Hopefully Kaz would forgive him.

Jesper left the van’s sliding door open and walked down the path to the Crow’s Nest. The ever fickle weather in Ketterdam showed signs of a storm on the way. Lightning kept flashing across the sky, brightening the path for a few seconds in a strobe effect. Jesper walked quicker, ready to see Wylan again.

When he got to the clearing with the Crow’s Nest, he smiled. Wylan was waiting at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the observation deck, looking around nervously. Jesper saw the moment Wylan noticed him as the boy’s face broke into a grin. Jesper smiled back and jogged to meet him.

“Stairs too hard for you, merchling?” Jesper teased.

“I wasn’t going up there in a lightning storm,” Wylan countered. He pulled a folded paper out of his pocket. “I got the map.”

Jesper took it from him and put it in his own pocket. “Thanks, but I’m happier to see you.” 

Wylan blushed. “Me, too. How’d you get Kaz to let you come by yourself?”

“He’s waiting in the van. I told him you’d run away in terror if you saw a bunch of Dregs,” Jesper shrugged.

“I’m not scared of your friends, Jes,” Wylan rolled his eyes. Jesper gave him a dubious look, and Wylan sighed. “Ok, but who isn’t afraid of Kaz?”

“He does have that effect on people,” Jesper laughed.

Wylan hesitated. “Did… did you tell them about us?”

“I figured I’d talk to you first. Is it ok if I tell them?” Jesper asked. Jesper watched as Wylan thought about everything, but gave him time. He would give Wylan all the time in the world. Eventually, Wylan nodded. Jesper grinned. 

The wind was picking up, and suddenly a loud clap of thunder boomed. Wylan flinched and flung himself at Jesper. Jesper laughed, but hugged Wylan back.

“Why are we even out here?” Wylan groaned.

“Do you want to go?” Jesper asked, looking down at him.

Wylan looked up and met Jesper’s gaze. “No,” he whispered.

“Me either,” Jesper said. He leaned down and Wylan met him with a kiss. Jesper moved his hands to cup Wylan’s face, fingers playing with his curls. 

“Isn’t this sweet?” A sneering voice rang out from across the clearing.

Jesper whirled around to face the voice, pulling Wylan behind him. Eamon, Geels, and Big Bolliger were spread out around the clearing, blocking off the paths. Jesper muttered a curse under his breath.

“What are you doing with this Dreg, Wylan?” Geels called.

“You’re really slumming it, Van Eck,” Big Bol added.

“Leave him alone!” Jesper shouted. 

“You’re right, Fahey, our fight isn’t with him. It’s with you. We’ve been thinking about you and that gun from the party at the Exchange. I think it’s time we settle the score,” Eamon said. The three Dime Lions started closing in on Jesper and Wylan.

“Go up to the observation deck. They want me, they’ll leave you alone,” Jesper whispered over his shoulder to Wylan.

“I’m not leaving you,” Wylan argued. 

“Please, just go. I don’t want you to get hurt. I can fight my way out, but it’ll be easier for me if I know you’re safe,” Jesper pleaded. Wylan stayed for a few seconds before running up the stairs like Jesper asked. 

Geels had been the closest, so he took the first swing at Jesper. Jesper ducked and retreated, bending low to pick up a handful of sand from the path. He flung the sand in Geels’s face. While he was distracted, Jesper punched him in the gut and sent Geels to the ground. 

Jesper looked around the clearing and found Eamon. Jesper ran at him and tackled him, landing on top of Eamon. Jesper scrambled to sit up and punched Eamon in the nose. Eamon’s hands flew to his nose, groaning. Jesper got up to look for Big Bol, but Eamon stuck out his foot and tripped him. Jesper stumbled and landed on his hands and knees. As he was pushing himself up, a foot kicked his side and sent him rolling across the clearing. He tried to get up before any of the Dime Lions got to him, but he was too late. Big Bol kicked at him again, so Jesper curled up and threw his hands over his head. 

He was hit with a few more kicks before someone pulled him up by the back of his shirt. Jesper’s arms were pulled behind his back, keeping him in place. He opened his eyes and they landed on Eamon, who had blood streaming down his face from the hit to his nose. 

“You’re really pissing me off, Fahey. But I’ve got you right where I want you now,” Eamon said. He drew back and punched Jesper in the face once, twice, three times. Jesper’s head snapped to the side with each hit, and he was finding it harder to stay conscious. 

Suddenly the grip keeping him upright vanished. Jesper swayed on his feet for a few seconds before he felt himself start to fall. Jesper passed out before he hit the sand.

*-*

Wylan knew Jesper had told him to go up to the observation deck, but he also knew the odds of a three against one fight were not in Jesper’s favor. Instead of climbing all of the stairs, he stopped at the first landing. He went to the railing and ducked under it, jumping back to the ground behind the tower. Jesper had said that Kaz was waiting in a van, so he dashed around the perimeter of the clearing and down the path Jesper had come from. He hoped the van wasn’t too far away, and he could come back with help before Jesper got hurt too badly.

Wylan raced down the path, and once he was far enough away from the clearing he started yelling. “Help! Someone, anyone, please!” The trees were getting farther apart now, so he had to be close to wherever the van was parked. At least, he really hoped so.

A small figure came running down the path toward him, followed by three more. The first one stopped in front of Wylan. It was a girl, Wylan recognized her as one of Jesper’s friends. 

“Wylan? What happened? Where’s Jesper?” the girl asked.

Wylan pointed back down the path. “You have to help him… Dime Lions… fighting…” he gasped out.

“Jesper’s fighting the Dime Lions, come on!” the girl called back to the others, who had caught up. Wylan recognized Kaz and his cane, and he remembered the others from the party. 

The Dregs took off again, and Wylan followed. When they reached the clearing, Jesper was being held up by Big Bol and punched by Eamon. Wylan froze, horrified. Kaz nodded to the other boy, and they ran into the clearing. Kaz swung his cane between Big Bol’s shoulders, which made him drop his hold on Jesper. The tall blonde, Wylan thought his name was Matthias, tackled Eamon away from Jesper too. Wylan watched as Jesper pitched forward and ran. He caught Jesper under his arms and staggered under his weight. Wylan lowered them both to the ground as gently as he could. He rolled Jesper over so he was on his back and pulled his head into his lap. 

“Jes?” Wylan whispered. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. “Jes, please wake up.” Jesper didn’t move.

A silver crow’s head was shoved under his chin, forcing Wylan to look up. He met Kaz’s glare. “I told you not to tell anyone you were coming here tonight,” Kaz rasped. 

“I didn’t! I swear I didn’t tell them, or anyone! Please, you have to help Jesper, he’s not waking up!” Wylan cried.

“How did the Dime Lions know to be here, then?” Kaz questioned, digging his cane into Wylan’s throat.

“Saints, Kaz, that’s enough!” The small girl moved forward and put her hand on Kaz’s cane. “We can deal with that later. Right now, we need to focus on Jesper.”

Kaz looked at the girl for a moment before lowering his cane. “Nina, how’s Jesper?”

The curvy girl, Nina, came to sit by Wylan. She grabbed Jesper’s wrist, feeling for his pulse. She bent over and listened to his breathing, then felt around his chest and abdomen. “Nothing feels broken, pulse is strong, he’s breathing. Probably just took too many hits, might have a concussion,” she reported.

“Can we move him?” Kaz asked.

“Carefully,” Nina nodded.

“Matthias, carry him to the van. We’ll take him back to the Slat,” Kaz ordered.

Matthias moved forward and scooped Jesper up in a bridal carry. The Dregs began walking back to the van and Wylan followed.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Kaz whirled on him.

“I’m coming with you,” Wylan answered.

“I think you’ve done enough,” Kaz said.

Wylan jutted his chin out defiantly. “I’m not leaving him.”

Nina whistled. “Damn, kid’s got spine. No wonder Jesper likes you.”

“Jesper said he didn’t tell you about us,” Wylan mumbled, blushing furiously.

“He didn’t have to. We saw the way he looked at you at Hringkalla,” the small girl said gently, placing a hand on Wylan’s shoulder.

“Inej wouldn’t let me ask you about it earlier. Care to tell us what’s going on with you guys?” Nina prompted.

“Can we get moving, please? Jesper’s heavy,” Matthias grunted.

Everyone looked to Kaz, who was watching Wylan. “Fine, you can come with us. But only because I need to know everything Jesper told you and make sure you didn’t sell us out.” Kaz walked back to the van, the others following. 

Wylan stayed close to Matthias, watching Jesper for any signs that he might be waking up. So far, he hadn’t stirred at all. Wylan bit his bottom lip in worry. Jesper had to be all right. Wylan couldn’t lose him now, not when he just found him. He didn’t care what the others thought, Wylan would be there for Jesper when he woke up. 

*-*

Jesper opened his eyes to a dark room. He groaned as he tried to sit up, wincing at the pain in his ribs. He made to move his hand to his ribs to check them out and found he couldn’t move it. He looked at his hand and saw that someone else was holding it.

“Jesper, don’t sit up, ok? Thank Ghezen you’re awake. How are you feeling?” Wylan asked.

Jesper smiled at Wylan. “You’re here.”

“Of course I’m here, I couldn’t leave you like that,” Wylan said.

“What happened?”

“Eamon, Geels and Big Bolliger cornered us by the Crow’s Nest. You got hurt, and you wouldn’t wake up. You scared me to death.”

Jesper rubbed his finger along Wylan’s knuckles. “So you took on the Dime Lions yourself, did you?”

“No, I got your friends to help you. Matthias had to carry you to the van and then into the house.”

“Aw, Matty does care. Wait, where are we?”

“Kaz called it the Slat.”

“And he let you in?”

Wylan blushed. “I wouldn’t leave until I knew you were ok.”

“And look at that, he’s ok. You can leave, now,” a voice called into the room. Jesper looked to the door and saw Kaz leaning on his cane. Inej, Nina, and Matthias were peering around him. Wylan let go of Jesper’s hand quickly when he realized they had an audience, but Jesper reached over until he found his hand again.

“Kaz, let him stay. You already interrogated him, and I’m sure Jesper would feel much better with his boyfriend by his side,” Nina teased.

Jesper glared at Kaz. “What does she mean, you interrogated him?”

Kaz rolled his eyes. “Calm down, Jesper, he’s fine. He’d be in worse shape than you if I’d found out he’d gone blabbing to the Dime Lions.”

Jesper moved to get out of the bed and hissed in pain. Wylan helped him settle back down. 

“It’s ok Jes, I should get going anyway. There’s only so much time I can stay away from home before my father will notice.” Wylan stood and began moving to the door.

“I’ll come see you later,” Jesper said.

Wylan turned and nodded, a small smile on his face. The Dregs parted and let him pass through the door. They turned back to Jesper, Nina and Inej giving him knowing smiles. Kaz cleared his throat.

“Everyone get some rest. The Dime Lions might not know about our treasure hunt, but I know there are other players in this game. We have the map, so hopefully we can follow it to the gold. If this works, we will be kings and queens,” Kaz said. 

The hunt was on.


	6. The Darkling House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes the scene that made me want to write this fic! Enjoy!  
> I still own nothing.

The Dregs were gathered around the table at the Slat the next morning, poring over the map Wylan had given them. So far, they had only located Parcel Nine on the map, and there had been several arguments about where it might be on land.

“Are we sure this map is accurate? It doesn’t even look like the right shape,” Matthias grumbled.

“The coastline has changed over the years,” Inej reminded.

“So what are some things that haven’t changed?” Nina asked.

“Well, the Bayurhill house, but that’s way over here,” Jesper pointed.

“Look at this, Battery Petyr, it’s one of the old forts,” Inej pointed.

“Battery Petyr isn’t near Bayurhill,” Matthias said.

“Bayurhill Plantation used to be the whole island,” Kaz informed. 

“Well look at this, there’s a stone wall marked along the border of Parcel Nine,” Nina indicated.

“So we start at Battery Petyr and drive around looking for an old stone wall?” Jesper asked.

“That’s the best plan we have,” Kaz sighed. They went out to the van and piled inside. Kaz drove to the old fort. Inej told him to head northeast of Battery Petyr, and they drove until Nina pointed to a stone wall. Kaz parked beside it and they got out of the van.

“Ugh, could it be in a creepier location?” Jesper whined.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Nina shuddered.

“Of course, it had to be the Darkling house,” Inej sighed.

“I don’t understand, what’s wrong with the Darkling house?” Matthias asked.

“It’s only the spookiest house in Ketterdam. I heard Baghra buried her husband’s head on the property,” Nina said. “Kaz should feel right at home.”

Kaz flipped her off. “We’d better start looking. The gold’s not going to find itself.”

The Dregs climbed over the stone wall into what once was Parcel Nine. The gold was close, they just had to find some water.

*-*

Sheriff Rotty stepped onto the porch of Per Haskell’s house. He looked at the front door that was hanging off its hinges. He cleared his throat. “Anika?”

Anika came into the main room from the kitchen. “Hello, Sheriff. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Checking up on a call we got a few days ago. Heard reports of a domestic disturbance or possible home invasion. Deputies reported nothing happened, but I figured I’d see for myself.”

Anika sat down on the couch and sighed. “The deputies were right, nothing happened.”

“You mean to tell me you ripped the door off the hinges yourself?”

“I was grieving after my uncle’s death.”

“Grief doesn’t do that. I think two men were here, looking for something.”

“No,” Anika denied stiffly.

“Fine, you don’t want to tell me. Let’s talk about Per Haskell. I got the GPS logs off his Grady-White and I mapped out the route he took the day he died. He took a trip to some uninhabited island 30 miles offshore. Per wasn’t a stupid man. What was he doing in open water in the middle of a storm?”

Anika looked away. She opened her mouth to say something, but shut it again before anything came out.

“If you’re scared of somebody, I can protect you. If you know anything…”

“I don’t. I’m sorry, but I think you should leave,” Anika got up from the couch and walked further into the house. “You can let yourself out.”

Rotty watched her go, and then stood up and exited the house. If she didn’t want to talk, fine. He needed to take a trip to Per Haskell’s mystery island himself.

*-*

Kaz led the way through the Darkling estate gardens, heading toward the house. Nina and Inej walked behind him, Matthias and Jesper bringing up the rear.

“What stories have you heard about this place?” Nina asked.

“Just that old lady Baghra murdered her husband with an axe, and she’s been here ever since. Sometimes, when the moon is full, you can see her face in the window, searching for her next victim,” Inej shuddered.

“I don’t believe any of that,” Kaz said over his shoulder.

“But Kaz, the stories are true! My cousin was best friends with the daughter, Ulla. She told me all about it,” Nina whispered.

“What did she say?” Jesper asked, a look of excitement crossing his face.

“So when she was six, Ulla heard her parents arguing downstairs. After a while, it got quiet, so she went downstairs and saw her mom washing her hands in the sink. It was full of blood. Her mother said she cut her finger and everything was fine. But the next day, Ulla was told that her parents were splitting up. Her father was already gone. But her mother kept going to the parlor and coming out with plastic bags. A few weeks passed, and Ulla was playing in the yard. She decided to use the outhouse. She went in, and as she was doing her business, she looked down and saw her father’s head, staring back at her,” Nina told them.

“Djel,” Matthias muttered, eyes wide.

“That’s the most ridiculous story I’ve ever heard,” Kaz said.

“You would know, you’re the master storyteller,” Nina scoffed.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Kaz?” Inej asked cautiously, looking around the property.

“We didn’t come this far to stop now. Everybody split up, look for water,” Kaz commanded.

“What kind of water are we looking for?” Matthias asked.

“The letter just said near the water,” Kaz shrugged.

“Stupidest secret message ever,” Nina grumbled.

“Anybody else want to complain?” Kaz snapped. “Look for water, meet back here in fifteen minutes.” He limped away through the gardens, heading to the far side of the property.

The others looked at each other. Nina and Inej decided they would go together to search the south side, Matthias took the east, and Jesper took the west.

Fifteen minutes later, they came back together. No one had found any water. Kaz crept closer to the house and smiled upon finding a loose section of boards that led into the basement. He beckoned the others over.

“No way, I’m not going into the murder house,” Nina told Kaz.

“It’s the only place we haven’t checked,” he whispered, and disappeared into the house. Inej shivered, but followed. Jesper, Matthias, and Nina went in after them.

“The itsy, bitsy Dregs went into the murder house. Down came Ms. Baghra and chopped off all our heads. Out came the sun and dried up all the blood…” Jesper sang under his breath.

“Shut up, Jesper!” the others hissed at him. 

“Does anyone see any water?” Inej asked, eager to get out of the house.

“I don’t think there’s even water in the pipes,” Matthias said, feeling along the pipes running through the basement.

“Of course there isn’t, because Kaz led us on a wild goose chase,” Nina said.

“Let’s get out of here, then,” Jesper suggested.

“You just want to go see Wylan,” Nina smirked. 

“This is why I didn’t want to tell you. How long are you going to tease me about this?”

“What do you mean, didn’t want to tell me? You still haven’t told me anything! I want details, Jesper Llewellyn Fahey!”

“Seriously, with the full name?”

“Yeah, so tell me about him.” When Jesper stayed silent, Nina smacked his arm.

“What the hell was that for?” Jesper cried.

“Mosquito!” Nina replied, showing a squashed bug in her palm. Jesper smacked her back.

“Mosquito!” Jesper showed her a squashed bug in return.

“Maybe you should stop smacking each other,” Matthias said. Nina and Jesper both smacked him, showing him the dead mosquitos and laughing. 

Kaz was tapping his cane along the floor. “Why are there so many mosquitos in this basement?” he muttered to himself as he tapped. Suddenly, the sound of his cane echoed when he tapped some wooden boards. He looked around the basement and spotted a small rock. Kaz picked it up and dropped it between two of the boards. He listened as the rock landed with a splash.

Kaz stood up quickly and called “Move these boards!” The Dregs moved to obey, picking up the boards to reveal an old stone well. They peered inside.

“Well, well, well,” Jesper grinned.

“That was terrible, Jes,” Nina groaned, but she was smiling, too.

“They built the house right over it,” Inej mused.

“It looks like we found water,” Matthias said. They all looked to Kaz.

“We’re going to need a really big rope.”

*-*

Rotty and Specht were driving a Stadwatch boat out to Per Haskell’s last known coordinates. Rotty had filled in Specht with everything he had learned, and the two decided to take a look for themselves.

“What the hell was Per Haskell doing way out here in the middle of a storm?” Specht wondered as the strip of land came into view on the horizon.

“That’s what we’re here to find out,” Rotty answered. He got as close to the land as the boat would allow and dropped anchor. “It’s not that much land, take that side, I’ll take the other.”

“What are we even looking for?” Specht asked.

“Anything that doesn’t look like it belongs on an uninhabited strip of land,” Rotty said. He took off his shoes and rolled up his pants before sloshing through the water to get to the island. Specht followed suit. When he had brought this to Rotty’s attention, he had no idea what he had stumbled on. He just hoped this trip would finally give them some answers.

*-*

“So you found the gold?” Wylan asked in awe. 

Jesper had borrowed Inej’s SUV to find Wylan to prove to his worried merchling that he was doing fine after the fight. Wylan had been sitting on the perimeter of the Bayurhill property, sketching. Jesper rolled down the window and called for Wylan to get in. Wylan had looked up, smiled, and climbed into the car. Jesper was filling him in on their progress as he drove back to the Slat.

“Sure did,” Jesper confirmed.

“But it’s under an axe murderer’s house?”

“Kind of? It depends who you ask. The only thing is, the well is pretty deep, so we couldn’t check it out earlier.”

“I wish I was there with you guys.”

Jesper looked over to Wylan in surprise. “You want to go to a creepy house with a bunch of Dregs?”

Wylan shrugged. “I’ve snuck into the archives in Belendt and helped you out of a fight with the Dime Lions, why not continue the adventure?”

“Well, you can come with us tonight,” Jesper offered.

“Is that ok?”

“Sure.”

“I mean, with the others.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Jesper said. Wylan didn’t answer, so Jesper looked over to him. “What is it?”

“I don’t think Kaz likes me very much,” Wylan mumbled.

“Kaz doesn’t like anybody. Besides, you got us the map and the letter, you’re a part of this.”

“I don’t know Jes…”

“Trust me. We’ll all get together, and they’ll be happy to see you.” Jesper reached over and grabbed Wylan’s hand, smiling. Wylan smiled nervously back. They held hands the rest of the way to the Slat.

*-*

“No,” Kaz said.

“Kaz, come on…” Jesper tried.

“No,” Kaz repeated.

Jesper looked to the others for help. Wylan stood behind him, ready to bolt. Nina and Inej shrugged apologetically, Matthias just stared.

“Guys, Wylan’s been very helpful! We couldn’t have come this far without him!” Jesper argued.

“I would like to say that I am very uncomfortable with all of this,” Matthias said.

“When are you not uncomfortable?” Jesper cried.

“You didn’t see him last night,” Nina winked.

“Nina!” Matthias yelped, face burning red.

“Jesper, I thought you said you were just using him for information,” Kaz sneered.

Wylan stiffened behind Jesper. “You said that?” 

Jesper winced. “I didn’t say that.”

“Yes you did,” Matthias corrected.

“Saints, I wish you hadn’t,” Nina sighed.

“Ok, so I said it!” Jesper yelled. “But that was before I got to know him! Wylan is smart, and kind, and good. He’s done everything you asked of him, Kaz. He’s already part of this, just let him join us. Please.”

Kaz looked between Jesper and Wylan. Inej, who had been quiet throughout the conversation, nudged her foot into Kaz’s. He looked to her, and they had a silent conversation. Kaz sighed and turned back to Wylan. “You tell anyone about this, and you’re dead,” he threatened.

“Don’t be cruel, Kaz,” Inej whispered.

Kaz sighed again. “Welcome to the Dregs, Wylan.”

*-*

Rotty climbed over the sand dunes, looking for anything that seemed out of place. He came across a make-shift shelter under a tree. Several branches had been notched together and covered by palm leaves. Rotty looked in the sand around the shelter. Something reflected the sunlight and caught his eye. Rotty walked over to it and uncovered a pocketknife. The name 'J. Brekker' was carved into the handle. 

“I found nothing, what about you?” Specht called to Rotty as he crossed the island. Rotty waited for Specht and pointed out the shelter. “Looks like someone was here,” Specht said.

“Not just anybody,” Rotty replied. He pulled out an evidence bag and put the knife inside before passing it to Specht.

“J. Brekker. Jordie?” Specht asked.

“Let’s think about this for a minute. What were the big cases we’ve had in this past year?” Rotty questioned.

“Jordie’s disappearance, Per Haskell’s death, and two murdered mainlanders,” Specht listed.

“What if all these things are connected?” Rotty said. 

Rotty and Specht looked at each other. The puzzle just kept getting bigger.

*-*

The Dregs were driving back to the Darkling house as dusk settled into darkness. Kaz was going over the plan as the van brought them closer to their destination.

“Rope?” Kaz asked.

“Check,” Matthias held up the rope.

“Pulley?”

“Check!” Nina showed them the pulley.

“Harness?”

“Check!” Jesper was already wearing the harness needed to be dropped into the well.

“Flashlights and dark clothes?”

“Check!” everyone chorused.

Kaz stopped the van by the stone wall. “We’re ready. No mourners.”

“No funerals,” Inej, Jesper, Matthias, and Nina answered.

“That’s a bit morbid,” Wylan whispered to Jesper. 

“It’s just how we say good luck,” Jesper explained.

The Dregs climbed over the wall one by one. They crept through the gardens and headed for the house. They crouched low, keeping their flashlights pointed at the ground. 

Suddenly, a pool of light flooded the gardens. The Dregs cursed, hid in the bushes, turned off their flashlights, and waited. The lights went off again after a minute. Kaz waved a gloved hand, and the light came back on.

“So, she has motion-sensor lights,” Kaz concluded.

“We could move really slowly?” Jesper suggested.

“That’s not how it works,” Nina snorted.

“We could throw a rock at it, take out the light,” Matthias said.

“And let the axe murderer know we’re here?” Inej raised an eyebrow at him.

“What about the breaker?” Wylan asked. The Dregs all looked at him. “My father tried to convince Baghra to sell the land so he could develop it. There’s a circuit box on the porch. I’ve seen it.”

“Hidden depths, Wylan,” Kaz commented. 

“You can’t go up to the house alone!” Jesper whispered. “Baghra chops people into pieces!”

“She’s an old lady, Jesper, she’s probably asleep,” Wylan said.

“I’ll go with Wylan,” Inej offered. Wylan nodded.

“Ok, we will wait for your signal,” Kaz said. He looked at Inej. “Be safe.”

Wylan and Inej moved away from the group. Jesper anxiously watched them go.

Nina tapped Jesper’s cheek. “Hey, be safe,” she snickered.

“Be so safe,” he grinned back.

“I’m going to kill both of you,” Kaz grumbled.

“But Kaz, how would that keep us safe?” Nina deadpanned. Jesper and Nina fell over in a fit of giggles, and Matthias smiled. Kaz just rolled his eyes and settled in to wait.

*-*

Inej led the way toward the front porch, Wylan close behind her. “She must have a generator connected to the main power if the lights still work,” Wylan muttered as they walked. They climbed the wooden steps as quietly as possible. Wylan shined his flashlight over to the circuit box by the front door. “There it is!”

Inej opened the door to the box, but there were no breakers inside. She turned to look at Wylan, and he stared back at her with wide, fearful eyes. “What now?” Inej asked.

Wylan moved his flashlight up, following the electrical lines. “It leads inside.”

Inej went to the door and tried the knob. To their surprise, it turned. She eased the door open and they entered the house. Since it was an old house, the electrical lines visibly ran along the ceiling. Inej and Wylan followed the lines through the house. A cat meowed at them, and Inej thought Wylan would jump out of his skin. She patted him on the shoulder and kept going. 

The lines led to an indoor box, and this one contained the breakers. Inej smiled at Wylan and flipped the switches on the box. They heard a generator power down, and the light in the garden switched off.

“We did it,” Wylan breathed. “Now what?”

“I guess we should stay here so we can turn the power back on,” Inej said.

“Let’s hope the others don’t take too long,” Wylan replied.

*-*

The lights turned off and plunged the garden into darkness once more. The Dregs that had remained outside gave each other smiles. Kaz moved first, crossing the garden to the entrance they had used into the basement. They made their way inside as quietly as possible. Kaz took out a small drill and made a hole in the ceiling over the well. He took the pulley from Nina and screwed it in place. Nina fed the rope through the pulley. Jesper secured the rope to a clip and attached it to his harness. 

“How deep do you think this is?” Jesper asked, peering over the edge.

“Not sure,” Kaz answered honestly.

Jesper climbed up on the edge of the well. Matthias, Nina, and Kaz all gripped the rope as he eased himself so he was dangling over the well. “Please don’t drop me. If I die, I’ll need to be intact so I can have an open casket at my funeral. The world deserves a few more minutes with this face.”

“Can we drop him, just for that?” Nina teased. Jesper stuck his tongue out at her. 

“Tell us if you find anything,” Kaz said. He nodded to Nina and Matthias and the three of them started to lower Jesper into the well. Kaz was closest to the pulley, making sure the rope fed through smoothly. Nina and Matthias were acting as the counterweight for Jesper. Slowly, they moved down the rope.

“Keep going!” Jesper called.

Matthias grunted as the rope twisted in his grip. “Hold on, I need to get situated,” he told the others. 

“You ok?” Nina asked, looking at Matthias.

Matthias lost his hold on the rope and it started sliding through Nina and Kaz’s hands. He grabbed on and pulled with all his might, and together they stopped the rope.

“What the hell was that?” Jesper shrieked.

“Jesper, you good?” Kaz called down.

“I told you not to drop me!”

“Technical difficulties.”

“You can take your technical difficulties and shove it where the sun don’t shine, Kaz. You’re not the one dangling in a well with no end in sight!”

“Shut up, both of you, let’s get this done!” Nina hissed.

Kaz, Matthias, and Nina continued to lower Jesper into the well. Matthias informed them that they had about fifteen feet of rope left. 

“Jesper, have you reached the bottom?” Kaz questioned.

“Not yet. Hang on, there’s some gross water here. Go down a little further,” Jesper said.

They lowered him a little more. “Find any gold?” Nina asked.

“There’s something in the water, hold on, I’m going in!” Silence for a moment, then Jesper screamed. “It’s a jawbone! Shit, Baghra really did kill her husband. Pull me up!”

Kaz, Nina, and Matthias began pulling the rope back up. Jesper was still yelling in the well, and the rope was swaying back and forth due to Jesper’s panicked movements. 

“WAIT! Wait, wait, wait! I think I found something!”

*-*

Inej and Wylan were still waiting in the house. They weren’t sure how much time had passed, but a grandfather clock had chimed a while ago. Wylan had jumped a mile at the sound. They had heard some shouting from below and they had exchanged worried glances. 

Footsteps sounded upstairs, followed by some coughing. The footsteps were accompanied by the thumping of something that sounded heavier than a cane. Wylan looked to Inej, terrified. She looked scared as well. He wasn’t sure if that made him feel better or not.

The thumping and footsteps started coming down the stairs. Wylan and Inej had passed the stairs in the main entry. Their exit was blocked.

Inej put a finger to her lips, telling Wylan to remain quiet. Their only hope was to go unnoticed.

An old woman’s voice floated toward them. “Misha, is that you? I can hear you. It’s late, too late.”

Wylan whimpered as the old lady turned the corner and came into the room he and Inej were in. She was carrying a fire poker, which must have been what had caused the thumping noise. She walked right past them. He shifted and a floorboard squeaked. The woman whirled to face them. 

Inej shoved Wylan out the door and he ran through the house. He wasn’t sure where he was going, he just knew he had to get out of there. Wylan turned to see if Inej was still with him and froze. He was alone. 

“No, no, no,” he moaned. He looked for a way out, but he wasn’t sure where he was in the house. 

Woosh!

Wylan squeaked as the fire poker slashed towards him. He ducked to avoid it as it came at him again. He looked around wildly for anything that might help him, but he had backed himself into a corner. This old lady was going to kill him.

The woman raised the fire poker to swing at him again, but Inej appeared and yanked it from her grasp. Inej tossed it to the floor, grabbed Wylan’s hand and pulled him back down the hall.

“Where are we going?” he cried.

“Basement. We have to get the others and get out,” Inej responded. 

Wylan really hoped Inej knew where she was going. 

*-*

“Jesper, why are we waiting?” Kaz called.

“I think I found something, just give me a minute!” Jesper yelled.

After Jesper had found the jawbone in the water, he had frantically clawed at the walls of the well to get out as quickly as possible. In doing so, some of the stones had given way, revealing a passage. Jesper pushed some more rocks, making the opening wide enough for him to fit through. He pulled himself into the hole and unclipped the rope from his harness. He crawled through the tunnel until he entered a cavern. He swung his flashlight around. His flashlight caught something in the light, and he crawled further into the cavern. His hand slipped on something, and he heard the sound of metal clanking.

Jesper picked up the piece that had moved. It was covered in mud, so he wiped it on his jacket. When he shined the light on it again, he gasped.

He had found the gold. 

He used his hand to wipe the area in front of him, uncovering more bars of gold. There was a lot, much more than he could carry in one trip. He grabbed several bars and stuffed them in his pockets. He had to bring something to prove it to the others.

Jesper started to crawl back through the tunnel. He hoped his friends hadn’t pulled the rope up without him. 

*-*

Kaz, Nina, and Matthias were waiting by the well. Jesper had been quiet for a few minutes. All of a sudden, Inej and Wylan burst through the door at the top of the basement stairs. They clambered down the stairs, panting.

“What happened?” Kaz asked.

“Baghra woke up, she tried to kill us with a fire poker,” Inej gasped. 

“Where’s Jesper?” Wylan asked.

Kaz, Nina, and Matthias looked back down into the well. 

“Jesper, it’s time to go! We’re pulling you up!” Nina screamed. They got back into position and gave a sharp tug on the rope. They all fell back. Jesper wasn’t on the rope.

“Jesper!” Kaz shouted into the well.

Jesper’s voice came from the well. “Guys, I found it! I found the gold!”

The Dregs all looked at each other in shock for a second before remembering their predicament.

“Get back on the rope, we have to move! Tug on it twice when you’re ready!” Kaz called.

A few moments later, there were two tugs on the rope. The Dregs pulled Jesper up as fast as they could. 

“Pull!” Kaz yelled.

A rifle shot sounded. 

The dregs all dove for cover. Nina and Wylan screamed. Matthias grabbed the rope and tied it off to one of the support columns in the basement. 

“Guys, what the hell is going on up there?” Jesper’s voice sounded.

The Dregs all looked to the stairs. Baghra was at the bottom, reloading her rifle. She shot it again and started to reload.

“Look at her eyes! She can’t aim, she’s blind!” Inej whispered to the others. 

Baghra let off another shot. Inej grabbed Wylan and pulled him to the entrance the Dregs had used to get into the basement. 

Jesper’s hands grabbed the edge of the well and his head appeared. He had climbed the rest of the way up using the stones as hand- and foot-holds. He saw an old woman shooting a rifle as Nina, Matthias, and Kaz dashed for the exit. Jesper pulled himself out of the well, unclipped his harness, dodged a shot, and ran after his friends. 

The Dregs ran back to the stone wall, the sounds of rifle shots following them. They climbed the wall as fast as they could. 

“Go, go, go!” Nina was yelling.

“Why are we always getting shot at?” Matthias groaned.

“This has happened before?!” Wylan squeaked.

“Get in the van!” Kaz ordered.

“Wait, where’s Jesper? Did he get out?” Wylan whirled around looking for the Zemeni boy. Matthias picked Wylan up and shoved him into the van. Kaz was in the driver’s seat, Inej beside him. Nina, Wylan, and Matthias were in the back.

Jesper appeared on the top of the wall. He jumped down and ran to the van. Kaz was just starting to pull away, so Jesper flung himself through the open sliding door. He was covered in mud.

“Saints, you look disgusting,” Nina crinkled her nose at him. 

“That woman was crazy!” Matthias shouted.

“Thank the Saints she was blind and couldn’t see us,” Inej said.

“Is anyone hit?” Kaz asked.

“I think we’d know if we’d been shot, Kaz,” Nina answered.

Jesper reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He wiped at it with his thumb, smiling as the gold color was revealed.

“What is that?” Matthias asked.

“You did it,” Wylan breathed.

“I did it!” Jesper crowed. He held up the gold so the others could see it. Kaz nearly crashed the van as he looked back to confirm that Jesper had the gold. 

The van filled with screams and whoops of joy. Nina leaned over and kissed Matthias. Jesper was doing some strange dance and sprayed the van’s interior with mud. 

“Shit, guys, we’re going to be rich!” Nina gasped.

“Hell yeah, we’re going full Mercher baby!” Jesper exclaimed. 

The Dregs celebrated all the way back to the Slat. The mystery had been solved. The gold from the _Jurda Parem_ had finally been found.


	7. The Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My beta would like it to be known that she wanted the chapter title to be 'seven' because I'm posting chapter 7 on the 7th, and I listen to the folklore album each week while formatting the chapter.  
> Thank you for reading! Stuff gets real this chapter, so I hope you enjoy!  
> As always, I own nothing.

Jesper and Wylan were sneaking up the driveway to Bayurhill. Jesper had gone straight off the dock to wash off in the water after returning to the Slat with the gold they had recovered and Wylan asked if he could go home to get a change of clothes. Kaz had waved them off, telling everyone to get cleaned up and to regroup in a few hours. 

“I can’t believe we really did it,” Wylan whispered to Jesper as they crept toward Bayurhill. “What happens now?”

“Kaz said we are going to melt down the bars we have so they’re untraceable, sell it at a pawn shop this afternoon, and then we’ll get the rest of it,” Jesper replied.

“What was it like? Seeing all the gold down there,” Wylan asked. He opened the door to the house, peeked inside, and beckoned Jesper to follow him after making sure the coast was clear.

“Beautiful. There was like, a thousand bars of gold, maybe. It was everywhere, there were stacks of gold bars just lining the walls. Thirty million kruge’s worth. We just have to get it out of there.”

“How?”

“Kaz has a plan, of course. It involves a more sophisticated version of our pulley system from last night. He’ll tell us more about it once we get back.”

Wylan entered his room, Jesper right behind him. Wylan rummaged through his drawers and packed a few changes of clothes in a bag, just in case. The less time spent in his father’s house, the better. He turned back to face Jesper and found the other boy poking around his room.

“I’m ready to go,” Wylan said.

Jesper picked up a long, skinny box off of Wylan’s desk and smirked. “What’s this?”

“My flute, why?”

“Wait, seriously?” 

“Yeah, I take lessons and play in the band at school.”

“Ok, that’s on me, I should have figured,” Jesper muttered, putting the flute case back on the desk.

“What did you think it was?”

“Nothing, don’t worry about it. You don’t want to know.”

Wylan blushed and ushered Jesper out of his room. “Time to go, apparently you can’t be trusted in my room.”

“I just want to know more about my merchling,” Jesper smiled, then winked. “I’ve learned so much already. If you play flute, you must be good with your mouth and hands.”

Wylan sputtered and turned an even brighter shade of red. “Come on, Kaz will want us back, we have more gold to bring up.”

“Ah, yes, we mustn’t keep Kaz from his one true love. Did you see how he almost crashed the car last night when he figured out I had some gold with me?” Jesper laughed.

“We almost died way too many times last night,” Wylan sighed. 

“Still want to be a Dreg?”

Wylan grabbed Jesper’s hand and pulled him to a stop at the bottom of the stairs by the front door. He looked up into Jesper’s gray eyes. “If it means I get to be with you, yes,” Wylan whispered.

Jesper smiled and tugged Wylan out the door.

Neither of them had noticed Jan Van Eck sitting in the dark in the living room off the main hall.

*-*

Nina and Inej walked into the Slat together and found Wylan sitting at the table. Wylan was sketching something on a piece of paper. It looked to be a drawing of the well with a pulley and winch system. They sat down on either side of him, making him look up to see who had joined him.

“Good morning, Wylan,” Inej smiled warmly.

“Hi Inej, hi Nina,” Wylan greeted.

“Great job last night, by the way. It was smart to think of cutting the power at the Darkling house,” Nina complimented.

“Thanks,” Wylan blushed.

“So, you and Jesper, huh?” Nina asked with a suggestive wink. Wylan’s blush intensified.

“Nina, don’t embarrass him,” Inej rolled her eyes.

“I have to get the juicy details from somewhere, and Jesper still hasn’t told us anything,” Nina pouted.

“What are you drawing?” Inej asked instead. 

“Kaz said we were going to use an old boat winch to lower Jesper into the well and bring up the rest of the gold,” Wylan explained.

The door to the Slat opened and Jesper strolled in. “Yeah, so you won’t drop me again,” he said. He walked over to stand behind Wylan and looked at his drawing. He pointed to a stick figure being lowered into the well. “Look at this, I’m even handsome as a stick figure.”

“You basically are a stick figure, you twig,” Matthias grunted. He had entered the Slat carrying an old winch that Kaz had no doubt stolen from somewhere. Kaz came in behind Matthias, holding a propane blow torch.

“Time to melt down the gold. We can’t take it to a pawn shop with the wheat image stamped into the bars,” Kaz said.

“You sure that’s going to work?” Nina asked, looking at the blow torch skeptically.

“It’ll work. Do you have any borax? It’ll help lower the melting point for the gold and make the process go faster,” Wylan said. The Dregs all looked at him. He blushed and turned his eyes back to his drawing. 

“How do you know that?” Jesper asked.

“I really like chemistry,” Wylan mumbled. 

“You’re just full of surprises,” Kaz said. He went to the cupboard under the sink and pulled out a box of borax from the assortment of cleaning supplies. “You like chemistry so much, come help me with this.”

Wylan nodded and got up to help Kaz. The two boys each put on a pair of safety glasses. Kaz put the gold into a pot from the kitchen. Wylan sprinkled just a bit of borax into the pot. They turned on the blow torch and got to work melting the gold.

“Saints, Jes, you’re a horrible influence on Wylan. It’s been what, two days, and he’s got a rap sheet to rival Kaz’s,” Nina teased.

Jesper smiled as he watched Wylan and Kaz work. “He’s great.”

Nina and Inej exchanged amused glances. “Our little Jesper is in love,” Inej smirked.

“Yeah,” Jesper sighed.

Inej and Nina’s gazes snapped to Jesper in surprise. “For real?” Nina asked.

Jesper looked at the girls. “Shit, this is going too fast, I’m going to freak him out, I can’t say stuff like that,” he panicked.

“It’s ok. Calm down, take a breath,” Inej patted Jesper’s shoulder.

“It’s just, like this morning, he said he wanted to be a Dreg if it meant he could be with me. And when we kiss, it’s like, wow, you know?” 

“So you have kissed him then! Finally, someone tells me something!” Nina cheered.

“Nina, he’s right there, shhh! Oh shit, what if he heard me say I love him?” The blood drained from Jesper’s face.

“You didn’t say that, not exactly. And if it’s any consolation, I think he really likes you,” Inej comforted.

“You think so?” Jesper whispered hopefully.

“Saints, Jesper, yes. You should have seen him stand up to Kaz the other night when you got knocked out in your fight with the Dime Lions. Or last night when old lady Baghra was shooting at us. I think he would have gone right back over the wall to get you even though we were under fire. Matthias had to put him in the van,” Nina told him.

Jesper looked over to Wylan, who was smiling as he watched the gold melt in the pot. “I don’t know, I’ve never felt anything like this before. He’s just special, you know?”

Inej and Nina watched as Kaz and Wylan talked while melting the gold. Wylan blushed at something Kaz said, and then looked up and smiled at Jesper. Jesper grinned back. “He certainly is,” the girls agreed.

*-*

The van pulled to a stop in front of Tante Heleen’s Pawn Shop. Kaz parked and the Dregs got out. Nina looked at the lump of gold Kaz passed her and sighed. “Why do I have to be the one to try and sell the gold?”

“You’re the best liar,” Jesper said.

“We’ll all be in the store with you,” Matthias assured. Inej, Jesper, and Wylan nodded. 

“Fine, let’s get this over with,” Nina said.

“Remember, that’s seven pounds of gold, it’s worth 140,000 kruge, and I don’t want to sell on a lowball offer,” Kaz instructed.

Nina nodded. She took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and walked into the pawn shop. The others followed her and spread out around the store. Nina walked up to the counter. A tall woman wearing a ridiculously large diamond necklace was behind it, watching her.

“Excuse me, ma’am, I hear you buy gold,” Nina said.

“That’s what the sign says,” the woman answered. 

“Well, I hope you buy a lot of it, because I’m about to blow your mind,” Nina promised.

“I doubt that, but go on,” the woman drawled. Nina produced the chunk of gold from her purse. The woman looked down at the piece of metal and laughed. “That’s not real. I can’t believe you’re trying to sell that in here.”

“I can assure you, that is the real deal.”

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t take your word for it. Do you mind if I test it?”

“Go right ahead! Why don’t you see how soft it is?”

The woman, whose nametag read Tante Heleen, tapped the gold with a screwdriver and put her finger over the indent left by the tool. She reached behind her and got out a small bottle with a dropper. She filled the dropper with liquid and squirted it onto the gold. She bent down and inspected the metal closely. “Well, it’s not plated or painted. But it looks like someone tried to melt it down.”

Nina answered quickly. “Yes, my nana, bless her heart. She had a lot of jewelry lying around and thought it would be best to consolidate it.”

Tante Heleen put the piece of gold on a scale. “Seven pounds is a lot of earrings,” she sneered.

“Well, nana has Alzheimer’s, and it’s been so hard watching her fall apart,” Nina said tearfully. 

“Give me a minute,” Tante Heleen sighed. She walked across the store and disappeared behind a door marked 'Office'.

“Alzheimer’s?” Kaz asked from the back corner of the store.

“Shut up, Kaz. You told me to sell the gold, I’m selling it,” Nina grumbled.

Tante Heleen walked back to the counter. She slid a slip of paper across the counter to Nina. “This is what I can do.”

Nina opened the paper and scoffed. “Fifty thousand? You think I came in here not knowing how much this is worth?”

“You’re in a pawn shop, not a bank,” Tante Heleen laughed.

“One hundred thousand, or I walk,” Nina countered.

“Seventy, and I won’t ask questions about where you got this,” Tante Heleen offered.

Nina looked to Kaz. Upon seeing his nod, she turned back and said, “I’ll take that in large denominations, please.”

“I don’t have that kind of kruge here. I can write you a cashier’s check…”

“No, we want it in kruge,” Nina interrupted.

“Then I’ll have to send you to the warehouse. I have the money there. Take your gold there, and they’ll pay you,” Tante Heleen explained.

After getting the directions from Tante Heleen, the Dregs took the gold and returned to the van. Kaz started driving toward the warehouse, but their skepticism grew as they followed the directions.

“There’s a warehouse full of money out here?” Matthias asked.

“That’s what she said, you were all there,” Nina replied.

“I’ve never even heard of Resurrection Drive,” Wylan said.

“That’s because you’re a Mercher’s kid,” Kaz told him.

“I’ve never heard of it either,” Jesper argued.

“There’s nothing out here but weeds and trees,” Inej said.

A wail of sirens sounded behind them, and the Dregs all turned around to see flashing lights.

“Stadwatch, out here?” Nina exclaimed.

“Why are they pulling us over, what did we do?” Wylan squeaked. Jesper reached over and grabbed his hand, rubbing his thumb soothingly over the back of it.

Kaz stopped the car and stashed the gold in a compartment behind the driver’s seat. “Everyone be cool,” he glared into the back of the van.

“Jesper, you don’t have the guns with you, right?” Nina asked.

“I haven’t had those in days! They’re still at the Slat,” Jesper yelled.

“Just checking! Saints, I hate the Stadwatch,” Nina groaned.

“Calm down, I’m sure it’s fine,” Matthias soothed.

The sound of a gun cocking and being pointed inside Kaz’s open driver’s window caught everyone’s attention. A man was standing outside the van, mask pulled over his face and gun pointed at Kaz.

“You were saying?” Kaz asked.

“Hands up! All of you, hands where I can see ‘em!” The masked man yelled. Wylan raised his hands immediately, the rest of the Dregs moved slower. “Get out of the car, driver.”

“I’d rather not,” Kaz answered.

“Do you not see this gun pointed at your head? Get out of the damn car!” the man screamed. When Kaz still didn’t move, the gun shifted toward Inej, who was sitting in the passenger seat. “How about I shoot her, instead? Get out of the car.”

Kaz slowly reached his hand through the open window and opened the door from the outside. He got out of the van with his hands raised, leaving his cane inside.   
“That’s more like it. Let everyone else out, let’s go.” The man directed Kaz around the van, and motioned to the sliding door. Kaz opened it and the Dregs got out one by one. “Lay down in the ditch, all of you, don’t let me see you look up.”

The Dregs got down in the ditch. The man watched them for a moment before climbing into the van. He looked in the glove compartment first, then under the seats.

“We were set up,” Inej whispered.

“Inej, dearest, while our friend here is busy, care to steal the keys out of his car?” Kaz suggested. Inej looked at Kaz and nodded. She got up and silently ran to the car. It wasn’t even an official Stadwatch vehicle, just a car with some sirens and lights. Inej climbed into the backseat of the car and took the keys out of the engine. She pocketed the keys.

The masked man climbed out of the van, clutching the piece of gold. He had found Kaz’s secret compartment. “Now, you all stay there in the ditch until I drive away, unless you want me to paint the road red.” He kept the gun pointed at the Dregs in the ditch until he got back to his own car. The man put the gun down on the passenger seat and went to start the car.

Inej popped up from her hiding spot in the backseat and elbowed the guy in the face. She grabbed the gun and threw open the rear driver’s side door, taking it with her. Once the others saw her, they got out of the ditch and ran to join the fight. Matthias, Jesper, and Kaz took turns punching the man until he was down. Nina had gone to the car and retrieved the gold. 

Kaz bent and pulled the mask down from the man’s face. He snarled in recognition. “Oomen.”

The man, Oomen, sneered up at the Dregs from where he was leaning against the car. “Brekker,” he seethed.

“Do you know him?” Wylan asked from his place beside Jesper.

“Oomen here is one of Geels’s underlings, he works with the Dime Lions. I hadn’t realized they had breached the Barrel,” Kaz explained.

“A gold nugget that size shows up, people are going to hear about it,” Oomen said.

“Yes, but this seems much too sophisticated for a Dime Lions scheme. Who told you to be on the lookout for gold? Who told you to come out here?” Kaz questioned.

“He’ll kill me,” Oomen said.

“I can make you wish for a quick death,” Kaz threatened. When Oomen didn’t answer, Kaz kicked Oomen in the gut.

“It was Pekka Rollins!” Oomen groaned.

Wylan stiffened behind Jesper. “That can’t be right. Mr. Rollins is my father’s business partner.”

Kaz looked at Wylan, eyes narrowed. “Everyone in the van, now.” 

Inej tossed the gun to one side of the road and the keys to the other. The Dregs all got back in the van and drove off, leaving Oomen and his car behind. 

The Dregs sat in silence as Kaz drove. Kaz’s grip on the steering wheel was tight, eyes blazing. Eventually they got back to the Slat. Everyone exited the van and began walking to the house. Kaz’s raspy voice stopped them.

“Was Pekka Rollins at your house when you got the map?” Kaz called.

The Dregs all looked at Kaz, then turned to Wylan. Wylan fidgeted with his hands and looked up at Kaz. “Yes, he was there.”

“Did he see you take it?”

Wylan winced. “Yes.”

“So I guess you did sell us out,” Kaz glared.

Jesper got in between Kaz and Wylan. “Hey, he didn’t know, all right? It’s not his fault.”

“Yes, it is. I knew there were more people after the gold, I just didn’t know who. But if Rollins is in league with the Dime Lions, then it makes sense that they showed up at the Crow’s Nest the other night. Wylan led them right to us,” Kaz explained. 

“I swear I didn’t know,” Wylan promised. 

“Get out,” Kaz demanded. 

“Kaz…” Jesper tried.

“You, too. All of you, get out.” Kaz leaned heavily on his cane as he made his way back into the Slat. The remaining Dregs looked at each other.

“He’s right, this is all my fault, I’m sorry,” Wylan apologized. 

“It’s ok, Kaz just needs to be dramatic for a while,” Nina rolled her eyes.

“But this Pekka knows we have the gold,” Matthias argued.

“But no one knows where it is. Just us,” Jesper said.

“Just, give Kaz some time. He’ll come around, and we can go get the rest of the gold,” Inej assured. The others nodded, and they went their separate ways.

*-*

Geels, Eamon, and Big Bolliger were playing cornhole at one of the many country clubs in the Geldin District. They were interrupted by an angry Oomen yelling for Geels.

“Geels! What the hell, man?” Oomen called from the gate.

“What’s up with Oomen?” Big Bol asked. Geels shrugged and the boys went over to see what the fuss was about.

“What’s going on, Oomen?” Geels said.

“Pekka told me to be on the lookout for gold, right? He’s got people planted at pawn shops and shit. We’re supposed to steal it from them and give any gold we get to Pekka,” Oomen ranted.

“Ok…” Geels prompted.

“I just got beat up by a bunch of dirty Dregs and the Van Eck brat over a huge nugget of gold!”

“For real?” Eamon smirked. 

“Tell Pekka that Brekker and his friends have it, and that I’m out. I’m not dealing with that shit,” Oomen growled. He stalked off.

“There’s no way the Dregs have real gold,” Big Bol laughed.

“Should we tell Pekka?” Geels asked.

“Nah, we would’ve heard if Pekka was looking for gold. However, the Dregs want to fight a Dime Lion, we can do something about that. We still owe them a beat down for sinking my boat,” Eamon said. The three boys went to the parking lot to retrieve their motorcycles. They had a score to settle.

*-*

Jan Van Eck was sitting in his office, head in his hands. If what he had heard this morning was true, Brekker had found the gold. There were bars of it somewhere, underground from the sounds of it, but where?

There was a knock on his office door, and Pekka came in. “Look at this, new pocket listings, and you’ll never guess what’s on it.” Pekka waved a folder in front of Van Eck. When he didn’t look up, Pekka continued. “Old lady Baghra finally wants to sell. She said some kids broke in last night, scared her so much she wants to go into assisted living. Forty acres for us to develop!” 

“I’ve got other things on my mind besides pocket listings, Pekka,” Jan muttered.

“Jan, stop worrying about the lost treasure, all right? I’ve got people looking into it, we’ll find it.”

“Someone has already found it!” Jan slammed his hands onto his desk and glared at Pekka.

Pekka whistled. “Brekker?”

“Who else would it be?”

“They’re just a bunch of kids, Jan, we can pretend to make a deal with them and steal it out from under them later.”

Jan sighed. “I’m working out the details.”

“Let me know if you need any help,” Pekka said. He left Jan to his thoughts. 

Jan sighed again, tossing the Darkling estate file onto his desk. He’d think about pocket listings later. He was so close to the gold he could taste it. All he needed now was a plan.

*-*

Jesper and Wylan were walking around the Barrel with no real destination in mind. Since Kaz had banished them from the Slat, they decided they would spend the day together. Jesper had been pointing out different places they had passed, telling Wylan all sorts of stories of his life in Ketterdam. 

“And if you look over there, that’s the alleyway where I met Kaz. I was new to Ketterdam, and I thought I would take a shortcut home from school. These guys jumped me, and Kaz comes out of nowhere, swinging his cane until all of them were down. We’ve been friends ever since,” Jesper pointed.

“Life with the Dregs is never boring, huh?” Wylan asked.

“Nope. But you’ve had your own experiences with Dregs life now! What do you think, is it everything you ever dreamed?” Jesper grinned.

“And then some,” Wylan answered.

“Well, clearly, I mean I am pretty dreamy,” Jesper winked. Wylan smiled shyly, and his cheeks turned pink. He hesitated for a moment, and Jesper watched as he opened his mouth and closed it again. “I can hear you thinking. What is it, merchling?”

“It’s just… how do you do it? Is it always this crazy, getting into fights, getting shot at, nearly dying?”

“Usually it’s just fighting, the shooting only started happening since you’ve been around,” Jesper tried to joke. Wylan didn’t laugh, though, so Jesper stopped walking and made Wylan look at him. “I’m sorry if this is freaking you out. I know you’re used to your sheltered merchling life. This is probably a lot for you.”

Wylan nodded, then looked down at his feet. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. Honestly, you’re doing very well. Not everyone would stick around after what you’ve been through in the last few days,” Jesper assured.

“Does it ever get to be too much for you?” Wylan questioned, meeting Jesper’s gaze again.

“Yeah, sometimes,” Jesper replied honestly. A thought crossed his mind and he smiled. “I have something to show you.” Jesper grabbed Wylan’s hand and started walking quickly down the side of the road, heading for the edge of town.

“Where are we going?” 

“You’ll see.”

Jesper pulled Wylan along the road for a while. They followed it past all of the buildings into a small forest. Wylan had asked a few more times about their destination, but Jesper refused to give anything away. Eventually, he turned down a dirt path that was nearly hidden by weeds. They walked a little further and came upon an abandoned, old church.

Jesper heard Wylan gasp behind him, and he turned to look at him. Wylan was staring up at the old building in awe. “What is this place?” Wylan whispered.

“My Da and I found it shortly after we came to Ketterdam. We used to go on really long hikes so he could tire me out. I’ve always had a lot of energy, and after we moved here, I didn’t have farm work as an outlet. I thought this place was so cool as a kid. Da looked it up, it’s been here forever, before all the condos and developments,” Jesper explained.

“It’s beautiful,” Wylan said. He looked at Jesper. “Can we go in?”

“Sure,” Jesper nodded. The boys walked hand in hand to the side door of the church. Jesper opened it and ushered Wylan inside. 

The interior looked as if it had been untouched over the years, still ready for parishioners to fill the wooden pews and light prayer candles. Sunlight filtered through broken stained glass windows, leaving splashes of color across the floorboards. Jesper watched as Wylan walked around the room. His fingers twitched, and Jesper guessed Wylan was itching to sketch what he saw. He stopped at the foot of a wooden ladder. “What’s up there?”

“That’s the bell tower. Back in the day, they used to ring the bells when ships would come in,” Jesper told him. While Wylan was distracted he picked up two of the old prayer candles and stuffed them in his pockets. “We can go up if you want. Just let me go first, we wouldn’t want you to have to deal with any rats or spiders.” Jesper smirked at Wylan as the smaller boy stuck his tongue out at him. 

Jesper scampered up the ladder and took the candles from his pockets. He set them out on the floor and used his lighter to set them aglow. He turned back to the ladder just as Wylan poked his head into the tower room. Jesper reached down to help Wylan finish his climb. 

“Thanks,” Wylan said. He slowly spun around the room, taking everything in. When he noticed the candles, Wylan shot Jesper an amused look. “Trying to burn the place down?”

“Maybe I was trying to set the mood,” Jesper waggled his eyebrows. Wylan flushed and looked away. Jesper steered them over to one of the wooden support beams. “I carved my name over here when I was thirteen. Jordie, Kaz’s brother, got us all pocketknives with our names carved in the handle. I thought it was cool, so I used it to carve my name here too. It made it feel like it was mine, my own secret place. When everything gets to be too much, I come here. It’s quiet, reminds me of the quiet of the farm I used to live on with Da and Ma.”

Wylan smiled at him. “It’s really nice. It’s a great hideout for the Dregs.”

Jesper rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “The others have never been here. I only ever came here with Da. You’re the first person I’ve ever shared this with.”

“I’m honored,” Wylan said. 

They stared at each other for a minute, before Jesper coughed awkwardly. “You haven’t seen the best part yet,” he said, turning away and crossing to a shuttered window. He pushed open the wooden shutters and gestured to the view. The sun was starting to set, bathing the treetops in a red-orange light. Jesper thought it looked like the color of Wylan’s curls. 

Wylan stepped up to the window, sighing as he took in the view. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Not as gorgeous as you,” Jesper whispered. 

Wylan’s head swiveled to look at Jesper. His eyes looked like they might pop out of his head, and his face was as red as Jesper had ever seen it. For a minute, Jesper was worried he’d gone too far too fast as he and Wylan just stared at each other. He wracked his brain for a way to go back and not ruin the moment, but Wylan saved it for them. He went up on his tiptoes, cupped Jesper’s cheeks in his hands, and kissed him. 

Jesper was shocked for a moment, but he quickly started kissing Wylan back. His arms circled Wylan’s waist, and then he moved one hand up to bury it in Wylan’s hair. He wasn’t sure how long they kissed, but it felt like it hadn’t been long enough when Wylan dropped his hands to Jesper’s chest and his heels found the floor again. He looked up at Jesper with a small smile on his face. 

“Wylan…”

“Thank you, Jesper. Thank you for sharing this place with me, for letting me be part of this, for everything. I’ve never really felt like I belonged anywhere, but these past few days with you, I feel like I’ve found a place to call home,” Wylan said.

“Even though you keep almost dying? Merchling, you could have your pick of friends…”

“I’d still choose you,” Wylan cut him off. 

Jesper looked down at the smaller boy in his arms, surprised to find that Wylan was completely serious. All of Jesper’s fears of pushing Wylan too fast disappeared. If Wylan was sure about this, then so was he. Jesper bent to kiss Wylan again. He lost track of time, happy to stay in this moment with Wylan for as long as possible. The rest of the world could wait a while, Jesper and Wylan were happy in theirs.

*-*

Kaz sat at his desk, staring at the piece of gold he and Wylan had melted down earlier. He sneered at the thought of Jesper’s merchling. The traitor had brought them nothing but trouble, whether he’d meant to or not. But Jesper’s words rang true, they wouldn’t have come this far without him. Kaz sighed, dragging his gloved hands through his hair. 

If the Dregs wanted to get the gold, they’d have to act quickly. Kaz went over his plan again, piece by piece. It would work, he was sure of it. He just needed to get his crew back together. 

Kaz sighed again and reached for his cane. It was dark outside, and his plan was best done at night. Might as well take advantage of the lead they had in the race for the gold. He stood and walked out of his office. He passed the winch and other supplies on his way out. Crew first, equipment later.

Kaz made his way down the porch steps and over to the van. He’d go to Inej first. He told himself it was because he needed her to sneak in and get the others without waking anyone else, but he knew he’d have gone to her anyway. 

Before he could get too lost in that train of thought, something else caught his attention. The front driver’s side tire of the van was flat. He bent to check the tire and tried to find the cause. Before he could find it, something hit the back of his head. He was out before he hit the ground.

*-*

Kaz awoke slowly, head aching from the blow he had received. He tried to massage his temples, but found that his hands were bound behind his back. Before he opened his eyes, he listened for any clues as to what was going on. He couldn’t hear much, just the rhythmic sound of waves crashing, and it felt as though the floor was swaying. He was on a boat. 

A glance around confirmed his suspicions. He was in the main cabin on a ship. The first rays of daylight were creeping in through the windows, not portholes, so he was not below deck. The wallpaper displayed a red laurel pattern, so he knew exactly who this boat belonged to.

“Van Eck,” Kaz said.

The man in question came into view from behind Kaz. He crossed the room and settled into a chair facing Kaz. “Mister Brekker,” he acknowledged.

“Will your associate Pekka Rollins be joining us?” Kaz asked. 

“Not presently,” Van Eck replied. “I have a proposition for you.”

“Do all of your business dealings start with a kidnapping?” 

“I figured it would be the easiest way to have this conversation.”

“Why not have your son invite me over for dinner?”

Van Eck ignored that. “You found the gold from the _Jurda Parem_. An unbelievable feat, truly. People have been looking for that gold for over 150 years, and a Dreg from the Barrel found it. But here’s the thing. Finding it is where your fun ends, and where your problems begin. You must be trying to excavate it now. If it’s in water, how do you bring it up? If it’s on land, on somebody else’s property, that’s theft. Thirty million in gold is quite a haul, how do you transport it? How do you turn it into something in your bank account? You see, Mister Brekker, the truth of the situation is that you are in over your head. There are a lot of problems to consider here.” Van Eck paused, presumably to allow Kaz a moment to consider his position before continuing. “However, if we were to do this together, I can make those problems go away. All we need to do is come to an agreement on an equitable split. I know you’ve had assistance, we can cut in your friends. I can help you. All you need to do is trust me.”

“Trust the man who knocked me out and tied me to a chair?” Kaz quirked an eyebrow at the Mercher.

Van Eck got up and started pacing as he became agitated. “I think you will find that you really have no other choice in the matter. I know everything. I know that you found the gold, and I know that you already have some of it. I know about Rietveld. I know that you asked my son for help. Ghezen knows that illiterate moron couldn’t tell which one was a plat map, so I gave him the right map of Bayurhill for you…”

“What did you say?” Kaz asked lowly.

“The map!”

“Before that,” Kaz prompted, narrowing his eyes at the man. “How do you know about Rietveld?”

Van Eck stopped pacing. “I…”

“You couldn’t know about Rietveld unless you had my brother’s compass. And if you have the compass, then you must have known to search for it.”

“Preposterous.”

“You’re the one who said Rietveld. Rietveld was the last message that my brother left for me before he disappeared.” Kaz watched as Van Eck’s face grew paler. The pieces of the puzzle were finally starting to come together. “You know something about Jordie’s disappearance, don’t you?”

“I know nothing of the sort.”

“Don’t fucking lie to me, Van Eck!” Kaz sprang out of his seat and held a pocketknife up to Van Eck’s throat. He always carried the pocketknife Jordie had given him up his sleeve, and while Van Eck had been monologuing Kaz had sawed through the ropes around his wrists. Kaz glared at the Mercher. He saw the way Van Eck’s eyes were shifting, saw him struggling to come up with an explanation. “I’m sure Sheriff Rotty will be interested in any information you can provide about a missing persons case. Let’s see what he has to say about this. But first, I owe you something.” Kaz took the knife away from Van Eck’s throat, switched it to his left hand, and punched Van Eck in the face with his right. The man staggered backwards and brought his hands up to his face. Kaz hit him a second and third time, and Van Eck was knocked out. 

After reassuring himself that the man wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon, Kaz looked around the cabin. He found his cane leaning against the galley cabinets and gratefully grabbed it. Kaz stepped out onto the deck. The boat was in open water, no land in sight. He found the ladder that led up to the ship’s controls and climbed it. Kaz checked the ship’s log and set a course back to land. Van Eck had sailed the boat several miles offshore, so the trip back would take a while. 

Kaz considered what Van Eck could possibly know about Jordie’s disappearance. Had the Mercher been the cause? Was Jordie still out there somewhere, hiding from a rich and powerful enemy? 

He could just see land on the horizon when a loud clang caught his attention. He turned quickly to find a gaff hook hanging off the railing of the upper deck. Van Eck was glaring at him from the top of the ladder. If looks could kill, Kaz would already be dead. 

But from the looks of things, his death might not be far off.


	8. The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously stuff went from 0 to 100 real quick, so tags have been updated. The gun violence and gunshot wound pertains to this chapter, in case that is a trigger for you. Jan Van Eck continues to be the worst, and he thinks about beating up Wylan for a sentence and then later just goes full psycho, but it's canon-typical for SOC.   
> Thank you once again for reading, I can't believe we're getting so close to the end!   
> As always, I own nothing.

The upper deck of the _Red Laurel_ was too small. Jan Van Eck was waving the gaff hook wildly and yelling for Kaz to back away from the controls. Kaz moved around to the far side of the deck, keeping the wheel between him and Van Eck. 

“Listen to me, Brekker, it wasn’t my fault! It was your brother! He was the one…”

Kaz saw red at the mention of Jordie and charged. He brought his cane up and crossed it with the gaff hook. The two men grappled with each other, trying to land a hit and protect themselves at the same time. Kaz pushed Van Eck against the railing, their cane and hook stuck between them. Jan slid the hook’s handle down Kaz’s cane in an attempt to stick Kaz with the hook. Kaz saw it coming and ducked back. Van Eck followed Kaz and pushed him against the railing toward the front of the boat. The cane and gaff hook crossed again as Kaz brought it up to defend himself. Kaz brought their crossed weapons down and head-butted Van Eck. Kaz didn’t like the small confines of the upper deck, so he looked for a quick exit. He jumped the railing and rolled down the curved front of the boat. He landed on the main deck, his roll stopped by a jet ski.

Kaz looked up and saw Van Eck gaping at him from the upper deck. He disappeared from Kaz’s sight, most likely to climb down the ladder to the main deck. Kaz ran along the side of the boat to get to the entrance of the main cabin. He had to find a better weapon. He ripped the sliding door open, slammed it shut, and locked it behind him. He checked the galley kitchen and looked in the cupboards, drawers, and storage compartments. In the compartment under the bench seat in the kitchen, Kaz found a harpoon gun. He took it out and loaded it with a bolt.

The glass on the sliding door shattered. Van Eck had used the gaff hook to break the window and step through into the cabin. Kaz whirled around and pointed the harpoon gun at Van Eck. “Don’t move!” he shouted. 

Van Eck paused, gaff hook poised to strike. He eyed the harpoon gun in Kaz’s hands. His gaze moved to Kaz’s face. “You wouldn’t shoot me,” Van Eck declared.

Kaz shot the bolt. Van Eck dove for cover behind a table and the bolt sailed out the smashed sliding door. Kaz dropped the harpoon gun and went downstairs into the lower cabins. The doors to the cabins were all closed. Kaz went to the door at the end of the hall closest to the front of the ship. He shut the door quietly behind him and locked it. He looked around the room. His eyes landed on an escape hatch in the ceiling. Kaz climbed onto the bed and opened the hatch. He climbed up through the hatch and found himself on the main deck again. He was too far away from land to swim, but he had another escape route.

While Kaz had been rummaging around for a weapon, he had found a key to the jet ski in one of the drawers. He ran to the jet ski and unhooked the cords tethering it to the deck. Kaz could hear Van Eck yelling below deck through the open hatch, so he had a little time. He found the controls for the winch and lifted the jet ski over the railing before lowering it toward the water. The yelling downstairs had stopped, Van Eck had no doubt heard the winch motor. He’d be on the main deck in minutes.

Kaz climbed over the railing of the boat. The jet ski was dangling above the water, still attached to the winch. Kaz leapt off the boat and onto the jet ski. He righted himself in the seat, found the clips hooking the jet ski to the winch, and released them. The jet ski fell into the water.

Kaz felt something whoosh past his arm. He looked back to find Van Eck on the main deck of the boat. He had the harpoon gun now, and was reloading it to shoot at Kaz again. Kaz dug the jet ski key out of his pocket and jabbed it into the ignition. He started the jet ski and roared off just as Van Eck let loose another bolt. It landed in the water where the jet ski had been.

Kaz sped toward land as fast as the jet ski would take him. He needed to put as much distance between himself and Van Eck as possible. The Mercher had done something to Jordie, he had practically admitted to it on the upper deck. Kaz needed answers, and he had a feeling he knew where to get them. 

Kaz steered the jet ski straight toward land. He knew he was off the coast of the Geldin District, somewhere near Bayurhill. He had been heading there on the _Red Laurel_ , so he tried to follow the path the boat would have taken. Once he got close enough, he figured out where he was based on the houses he could see. He changed course and directed the jet ski to the marsh. 

The fuel gauge on the jet ski indicated that he had almost an empty tank as he got to the edge of the marsh. He pulled the jet ski as close to the shore as he could get it before he ran out of gas. Kaz continued the journey on foot, thankful that he had kept a hold of his cane during his escape. He stayed close to the shoreline and followed it until he reached the tiny pier at the Crow Club. 

Kaz walked up to the small house and knocked on the recently fixed door. A few minutes passed before Anika opened the door a crack. She tried to shut it, but Kaz stuck his cane in the door. “I need to know,” he rasped. Anika nodded and let him in.

Kaz limped over to Anika’s couch and sat down. The house was much cleaner than the last time he had been here. He stretched out his bad leg as Anika paced in front of him. 

“The day your brother disappeared, I came home early from school. I snuck in because I didn’t want Uncle Per to know I was skipping class. When I got here, I heard yelling coming from the back porch. I went to see what was going on. Uncle Per was talking to Jan Van Eck and Pekka Rollins. Van Eck was pacing around and yelling about how it wasn’t his fault, he didn’t mean to hurt him. Uncle Per told them to start from the beginning. I was curious so I kept listening.

“Pekka Rollins took over the story. He said they had been in a meeting with Jordie that morning. Jordie had insisted they meet up somewhere private. He said he had big news. They went out on Jordie’s boat together and sailed into open waters. Jordie told them he had found the gold from the _Jurda Parem_ , but before he told them where it was, he wanted a written, legal contract with assurances. Pekka said the deal was for an even split.

“Then Van Eck cut in, yelling about how Jordie tried to change the deal on them. I guess Jordie wanted a bigger cut of the money because it was his research and they’d never have found the gold without him. Van Eck argued that he provided the money and equipment, and that Jordie was being ungrateful. Rollins took over again, said things got heated and Jordie and Van Eck started pushing each other. Pekka stepped in, and Jordie fell when Pekka pushed them apart. They said he hit his head, and he was bleeding really bad. They didn’t know what to do, they didn’t want to go to jail, so they dumped Jordie’s body overboard. 

“Van Eck took something out of his pocket, and tossed it on the table. Uncle Per unfolded it, it was a map of the island. Van Eck and Rollins wanted Uncle Per to pick up where Jordie left off. They gave him a new boat and plenty of money to buy his silence and cooperation. They’ve been trying to find the gold ever since.” Anika went quiet at the end of the story. Kaz had listened intently, and the more he heard the angrier he became. 

“So, Jan Van Eck and Pekka Rollins stole my brother’s map and dumped his body in the sea,” Kaz seethed.

“They sank his boat, too, somewhere no one would find it. They’ve been looking for the gold every day since. Uncle Per had searched everywhere but this tiny sandbar off the coast. He went out there right before Hurricane Alina hit. I told him not to go, but he said Van Eck was worried everything would be washed away. Uncle Per called in over the radio before he started the journey back. Kaz, Jordie wasn’t dead when Van Eck and Rollins dumped him. He made it to the sandbar. Uncle Per found a shelter there, made out of branches and leaves. Jordie’s remains were under it, and his compass was next to him. Van Eck told him over the radio to bring the compass back in case Jordie had hidden anything inside. Uncle Per signed off, but he never made it back.”

Anika turned to face Kaz head on. “I’m so sorry, Kaz. I should have told you all of this a long time ago. But Jan Van Eck and Pekka Rollins are powerful men, I couldn’t go up against them.”

Kaz stood up from the couch and crossed the room to the door. Anika was shouting warnings as he left, but her words went unheeded. 

Jordie was dead, and Kaz would not rest until the men who had killed his brother were punished.

*-*

Sheriff Rotty and Deputy Specht were sitting together in Rotty’s office, going over the facts of the cases of the murdered mainlanders and the disappearance of Jordie Brekker. There was yelling from outside the office, and suddenly the door burst open. Jan Van Eck barged in, holding a bloody towel to his arm. Rotty closed the case files quickly and shoved them into a drawer in his desk.

“What happened to you?” Specht asked Van Eck.

“I have a crime to report. Kaz Brekker shot me in the arm with a harpoon gun,” Van Eck declared.

“Please, sit down, Mr. Van Eck. Tell us what happened,” Rotty gestured to one of the seats in front of his desk. 

Van Eck sat down, cradling his injured arm. “I was cleaning my boat at my dock when Kaz Brekker showed up. I don’t think he was in his right mind, he was ranting and raving about how I was out to get him. He said I had fired his friend to spite him, he even claimed that I killed his brother. He trashed my boat, and then he found the harpoon gun in the cabin. I was stunned when he turned around and fired it at me. He took off, stole my jet ski, I don’t know where he went. But I’m worried for the community. Kaz Brekker is a dangerous young man, and should be apprehended as soon as possible.”

“Specht, write it up. Mr. Van Eck, I urge you to get your arm looked at. That’s a nasty wound you got there, wouldn’t want it to get infected,” Rotty advised. He nodded to Specht, and the deputy got up to escort Van Eck out of the office. 

“Right this way, sir,” Specht gestured.

“You’ve got the story, write it up! I’m going to see a medik,” Van Eck snapped.

Rotty watched the man leave through the window. Jan Van Eck stormed through the precinct, yelling at anyone who got in his way. Something about his story had set Rotty on edge, and he was sure there was more to it than what Van Eck had told him. He pulled out the case files he had put away. Why did Kaz think Van Eck had something to do with Jordie’s disappearance? 

Pieces were starting to fit together, and Rotty didn’t like the picture they were making.

*-*

Nina, Matthias, Jesper, and Inej were in the yard outside the Slat. Matthias and Jesper had set up the winch in one of the trees and attached it to a large bucket. Inej was sitting in the bucket while the boys ran a test on the winch. Nina was sitting in the sun, tanning.

“Does it feel secure, Inej?” Matthias asked.

“Yes, it feels good. Should we try adding in some more weight to see how much it’ll hold?” Inej replied.

“Has anyone heard from Kaz? It’s weird that he’s not here,” Jesper said. The other Dregs shrugged.

Nina sat up in her chair. Kaz had just come around the corner. “Speak of the devil! Kaz, where have you been?” Kaz marched right past them and went into the house. Nina looked to the others. “Did he get broodier?”

The boys looked up to Inej. She nodded and jumped down from the bucket, landing on her feet. She went into the house after Kaz.

Inej found him rummaging around the kitchen. He was pulling out drawers and opening cupboards. “Kaz, what are you looking for?” she asked. He didn’t answer, just moved into the living room and started searching the couches. “If you tell me what it is, I can help you look,” she offered. He didn’t even look her way. 

Kaz stopped his search, pulling something out of the couch cushions. Inej saw the flash of metal and heard a click as Kaz checked something. He turned around. Kaz was holding one of the revolvers Jesper had taken from the Geldrenner hotel. 

“Kaz, why do you need a gun?” Inej asked slowly. Kaz started limping toward the door. Inej blocked his path. “What is going on?”

“Pekka Rollins isn’t working alone. Jan Van Eck knows about the gold, too. He tried to kill me this morning,” Kaz finally said. His eyes were blazing. Inej had never seen him quite like this.

“Kaz…”

“Get out of my way, Inej. I have work to do.”

“Kaz, please, talk to me.”

“They killed Jordie!” Kaz exploded. Inej flinched at his anger. Kaz pushed past Inej and went out to his van. The other Dregs called to him, but he ignored them and drove away. 

Inej came out of the house and stood on the deck. The others turned to her. “What was that?” Nina asked.

“Kaz said that Jordie’s dead. He said Jan Van Eck and Pekka Rollins killed him,” Inej told them, dazed.

“There’s no way,” Jesper whispered.

“Van Eck and Rollins are working together to find the gold. Kaz said Van Eck almost killed him,” Inej continued.

“Where’s he going?” Matthias asked.

“He just said he had work to do,” Inej answered. She paused, unsure whether to tell the others, but decided they had a right to know. “He took one of the revolvers.”

Jesper froze. “Saints, Wylan!” He ran into the Slat and came out with the other gun and Inej’s keys. He got into Inej’s car and sped off.

Matthias, Nina, and Inej ran after the car. They yelled for him to stop, but he was long gone. 

*-*

Wylan was sitting by a tree at the edge of the Bayurhill property. He was sketching what he remembered of the old church Jesper had taken him to yesterday. He hadn’t seen Jesper since last night. Wylan wasn’t sure he would be welcome at the Slat after Kaz had found out about Pekka Rollins, and Jesper had promised to come get him after he smoothed things over. 

“Wylan,” a voice rasped.

Wylan jumped and looked up to find Kaz standing over him. “Kaz? What are you doing here?”

“Did your father send you to spy on us?” Kaz asked.

“What? No!”

“Did you tell him about the gold?”

“Of course I didn’t! What does my father have to do with any of this?”

“Pekka Rollins and your father aren’t just business partners, they’re partners in crime, and they both know all about the gold. Now I’m going to ask one more time,” Kaz moved the hand not holding his cane behind his back, and when it came back into view Wylan was suddenly staring into the barrel of a gun. “Did you tell your father about the gold?”

Wylan shakily raised his hands. “Kaz, please…” 

“I already know he gave you the map. He told me this morning, after he jumped me and tried to kill me.”

“He did what? Kaz, I swear I didn’t tell him anything! He caught me trying to take the map, and he gave it to me, but that’s it!” Wylan pleaded.

Kaz pulled the hammer back on the revolver. “Then how did he know?”

“I don’t know!” Wylan shouted.

“I don’t believe you,” Kaz said.

Wylan squeezed his eyes shut. After years of fearing that his father would tire of dealing with him and finish him off, this was how it would end. Kaz Brekker was about to kill him.

*-*

Jesper swung the door to Inej’s SUV closed and took off running towards Wylan’s house. He had parked at the edge of the property, close to where Wylan had been when he had picked him up the other day. It was nearly dark now, but he knew Wylan didn’t like to be near his father. Jesper prayed that he found his merchling before Kaz did.

Before Jesper went too far, he heard voices coming from a group of trees further down the property line. He stopped running and listened. There were two voices, one a familiar low rasp and the other a panicked voice. Jesper swore his heart stopped for a second. Kaz must have found Wylan.

Jesper took out the revolver Kaz had left behind and walked toward the trees as silently as he could. Kaz was standing over Wylan, who was sitting at the base of a tree with his hands up. Kaz said something, and Wylan shouted “I don’t know!” Jesper circled around and saw that Kaz was pointing the other gun at Wylan.

“I don’t believe you,” Kaz said.

Jesper ran forward and pointed his gun at Kaz. “NO!”

Wylan’s eyes snapped open and he turned to Jesper. “Jesper!”

“Jesper, stay out of this,” Kaz hissed.

“Kaz, I’m sorry Jordie is dead, but Wylan had nothing to do with it,” Jesper said.

“Jordie’s dead?” Wylan whispered.

“Yes, he is, and your father killed him!” Kaz yelled.

Wylan’s eyes went even wider and any color that had been left in his face disappeared. Jesper had to get him out of here. 

“Kaz, let him go. He had no part in this,” Jesper reasoned.

“Jes…” Wylan squeaked.

“Wylan, go inside. I’ll explain everything later, but I need you safe,” Jesper said. “Kaz, please, don’t do this. Let him go.”

Kaz looked from Wylan to Jesper and back again. He let the hand holding the revolver drop to his side. Jesper kept his gun pointed at Kaz. Jesper felt Wylan’s gaze on him, and when Kaz made no move to aim his gun at Wylan again, Jesper nodded for Wylan to go. Wylan gathered his sketchbook and pencils and fled through the yard to Bayurhill house. Once Jesper was sure Wylan was far enough away, he put his revolver down, too.

“Kaz…”

“Leave it, Jesper. You’ve just shown me where your loyalties lie, and clearly they are no longer with the Dregs,” Kaz snapped. He limped off into the night, and Jesper made no move to follow. 

Jesper looked toward Bayurhill. It was well after dark now, and knowing what he did about Wylan’s father, there was no way he was getting in tonight. He trudged back to Inej’s car. He needed to go home.

*-*

Wylan slammed the door of his house shut behind him, breath ragged from his mad dash across the estate. He went to a window and looked toward the trees at the property line. He strained his ears against his gasps, listening for the sound of a gun firing. After five minutes had passed, he breathed a sigh of relief. He hoped Kaz and Jesper had been able to talk things out.

Wylan thought back to what Kaz had told him. His father and Pekka Rollins were working together to find the gold. His father had tried to kill Kaz. His father had killed Jordie. 

There was no way those claims could be true. Wylan knew better than anyone how cruel his father could be, but he was an upstanding member of the community and a rich, successful businessman. He didn’t need to hunt for gold, he already had his own wealth. He certainly wouldn’t kill someone for treasure.

And yet, Wylan found himself believing Kaz. His father had been interested in learning about what the Dregs were doing, had asked Wylan about Jesper stealing the tanks. His father had also given Wylan the plat map without so much as a comment about his inability to read. He thought back to yesterday morning, when he and Jesper had come into the house to get Wylan some clothes after their break-in at the Darkling house. They had talked about finding the gold. Had his father overheard them?

Wylan took in a deep breath and steeled himself. He was about to do the unthinkable. He was going to face his father.

*-*

Kaz stopped the van in front of the Slat and took the keys out of the ignition. He rested his head on top of the steering wheel for a moment to prepare himself for what he was about to do. Jordie had been missing for months, everyone had presumed he was long gone. But Kaz had always had a flicker of hope that Jordie would still come home someday. Now that he knew the whole story, he had to say goodbye.

Kaz opened the driver’s door of the van and got out of the car. He looked up at the Slat, the house he had shared with Jordie and his parents. After his parents had died, Jordie had promised to always be there for him. But Jordie was gone too, and all that was left of their family was an empty house.

Kaz walked up the porch steps and into the Slat. The lights were all off, and the house was quiet. “Inej?” he whispered into the dark. There was no answer. He was alone.

He went to the office he shared with his brother. It was just his office, now, he reminded himself. Kaz went over to the desk that had been Jordie’s. He picked up the wooden model of the _Jurda Parem_ , glad that he hadn’t destroyed it a few days ago. He crossed the room to his own desk and rooted around his desk drawer until he found what he was looking for. It was a picture of Jordie, the one he had given the Stadwatch for the missing persons report. Jordie stared up at him from the picture, face serious. Nina had taken the photo a few years back when she had been interested in photography. Kaz had refused to let Nina take a picture of him, so Jordie had done his best Kaz impression and posed for Nina instead. Matthias had made a comment that ‘demjins couldn’t be caught on film’ and Jesper joked that Kaz had never been more handsome. 

The small smile that had formed at the memory faded as Kaz thought of Jesper. He was never going to actually kill Wylan, but the merchling needed to know what kind of man his father really was. A liar and a murderer. Kaz’s gloved hand clenched around the photograph as he was reminded of Jan Van Eck and Pekka Rollins leaving his brother for dead. He smoothed the picture back out before making his way out of the house and down to his dock.

Kaz placed the picture between the tiny wooden masts on the model of the _Jurda Parem_. He took a lighter out of his pocket and lit the paper sails and the picture on fire. Kaz carefully dropped the miniature boat into the water and watched as the current pushed it downstream. “Goodbye, Jordie,” he said. The whole boat went up in flames before it sank into the water, extinguishing the flicker of hope Kaz had been holding onto for months.

A new fire was ignited in Kaz now, and this one demanded vengeance.

*-*

Jan Van Eck was sitting in his office when the door burst open and Wylan came in. Jan was stunned for a moment at this show of courage from his coward of a son. “What is the meaning of this?” he snapped.

“Is it true? Did you kill Jordie Brekker?” Wylan demanded.

Jan schooled his features. “I see you’ve had a chat with Kaz Brekker.”

“He said you tried to kill him, and that you killed his brother.”

“Did he tell you he shot me with a harpoon gun?” 

Wylan froze. “What?”

Jan stood from his desk chair and started unwinding the bandage around his arm. He showed Wylan the wound. “He also shot one into the deck of the _Red Laurel_ and stole my jet ski. He accused me of all sorts of crazy things, and it appears he’s filled your head with the same nonsense. Do you believe him over your own flesh and blood? I knew you were simple-minded, but this is just ridiculous, even for you!” Wylan flinched as Jan’s voice got louder. Jan smirked as all of the bravado Wylan had come in with vanished. “I don’t think you should spend any more time with those Dregs. In fact, you shouldn’t leave the house at all with such dangerous criminals on the loose. Go to your room, I’ll let you know when you can come out.”

For a second, Jan thought Wylan might argue, but Wylan turned and fled down the hall. Jan rewrapped his arm. The bolt had hurt when he stuck it into his own arm, but it certainly added credibility to his story. Jan sank back into his desk chair. He needed to find the gold before Brekker and his friends could steal it out from under him. Perhaps he should call Wylan back in and beat the answer out of him. He had heard the conversation between his son and Jesper Fahey, they had both been present when the gold had been discovered the other night.

His eyes swept over his desk and caught on the folder of pocket listings Pekka had brought him the day before. The Darkling house was the top sheet, and Pekka’s words came back to him.

_“Old lady Baghra finally wants to sell. She said some kids broke in last night, scared her so much she wants to go into assisted living. Forty acres for us to develop!”_

Jan picked up the folder and looked at the listing. A group of kids broke into the Darkling house the same night that Wylan was out finding the gold with the Dregs. It could be a coincidence, but the timing fit too perfectly. Jan laughed to himself.

He knew where to find the gold.

*-*

Inej, Nina, and Matthias were on _The Wraith_ , which Inej had sailed to the Van Eck’s pier. After Kaz had gone off murderously and Jesper had followed, the rest of the Dregs had agreed that they should stop their friends from making the biggest mistakes of their lives. 

“Do you see anything?” Inej asked.

Matthias was looking through binoculars toward Bayurhill house. “It’s all quiet,” he reported.

“Maybe we should go knock on the door. We could ask for Wylan, see if he knows anything,” Nina suggested.

“It’s rather late, I doubt a Mercher family will take too kindly to us knocking on their door,” Matthias argued.

“Well, there’s no Stadwatch here, so Kaz probably didn’t kill everyone,” Nina reasoned.

“I see Jan Van Eck!” Matthias called. “He’s exiting the house, he looks fine.”

“So then where are Kaz and Jesper? I’ve never seen Kaz like that,” Inej said.

“Like what, angry? Ready to kill someone? Isn’t that actually normal for him?” Nina smirked.

“Demjin,” Matthias agreed, nodding solemnly.

“This is serious,” Inej admonished. “Kaz just found out his brother was murdered, and the same man who killed his brother tried to kill him. Kaz would never admit it, but he needs us right now. We have to find him.”

Nina and Matthias looked at each other and nodded. Nina moved to Inej and gave her a hug. “You’re right. We’ll keep looking. Where would he go?” Nina asked.

Inej gave Nina a small smile, and Matthias started driving the boat, ready to go wherever Inej suggested they look.

*-*

Jesper crept into his house. It was well past midnight, and the house was dark. He tiptoed into the living room, making his way to his bedroom.

“Jes?”

Jesper nearly had a heart attack as the table lamp switched on. His Da blinked up at him. He had been sleeping in the chair in the living room.

“Da! Saints, you scared me!” Jesper exclaimed, clutching at his chest.

“You scared me too, son. I haven’t seen or heard from you since Hringkalla,” Colm said.

Jesper winced. “I know, I’m sorry. I should have told you what I’ve been up to, I forgot the cell towers are still down.”

“Are you all right?” Colm asked.

“Yeah, fine,” Jesper shrugged.

“No, you’re not. You look exhausted and stressed. What’s going on?”

Jesper didn’t know how to answer that question, let alone where to begin. He couldn’t exactly tell his Da about finding the gold yet, and his father wouldn’t believe him if he said Jan Van Eck and Pekka Rollins murdered Jordie. He chose the simplest answer. “Kaz and I kind of got in a fight. He’s mad because he thinks I betrayed him.”

“I thought he was your friend.”

“He is! But, um, well, I’m kind of… seeing someone? And Kaz doesn’t like him very much, so when I picked him over Kaz, Kaz got mad at me.” Jesper ran his hands through his hair, tugging at it in frustration.

Colm stood and crossed the room to Jesper. He reached up and pulled Jesper’s hands away from his head. “I’m sorry you and your friend are fighting. Kaz has always been a little wary of newcomers.”

“A little?” Jesper snorted.

Colm smiled. “You’re right, he’s not very trusting at all. Now, about this person you’re seeing…”

“Da!” Jesper groaned.

“Does he make you happy?”

Jesper smiled at the thought of Wylan. “Yeah, Da, he does.”

“I’m glad. Give Kaz some time. And get some sleep, I’m sure things will look better in the morning.” Colm pulled Jesper into a hug, and Jesper happily returned it. The Fahey’s bid each other good night, and went to their rooms. 

*-*

Kaz was woken up by bright sunlight streaming into his eyes. He sat up and looked around, he must have fallen asleep on the dock. The sun was just starting to rise. 

Kaz thought back on all of the revelations of the past day. Jan Van Eck and Pekka Rollins knew that he knew where the gold was. Based on the fact that Van Eck had offered to partner with him, they must not know the location. Kaz had an advantage here, and he intended to use it. 

Kaz moved to get up and winced. After his fight with Van Eck, walking all over Ketterdam, and sleeping on the dock, his bad leg was throbbing. He wouldn’t be able to climb down into the well like this. Kaz got up slowly and limped toward the Slat. He needed to stretch his leg and apply a compress for a while before he could go check on the gold. 

After eating and resting his leg, Kaz got up and went to his van. He drove across town and pulled up in front of the stone wall by the Darkling house. He got out and froze. 

There was a For Sale sign by the stone wall.

Kaz climbed over the wall and made his way through the overgrown gardens. But the bad news just kept coming. He passed different tools and wheelbarrows, all bright red and bearing the name Van Eck Development.

There was no one in the garden, and the house was quiet. Kaz went to the hole the Dregs had used to get into the Darkling house and looked around. The well was uncovered, as they had left it in their haste to escape Baghra and her rifle. Kaz peered into the well. Jesper had managed to climb up the well without anyone pulling him up. If he could do it, so could Kaz. He swung a leg over the side of the well and prepared to climb down.

“Kaz,” a voice called.

Kaz turned and found Inej looking at him through the hole. Nina and Matthias were right behind her. 

“Let me,” Inej offered. She walked over to the well and assessed it before she began lowering herself into it. Kaz observed as she quickly and gracefully scaled the side of the well. Nina and Matthias came to stand beside him. They watched Inej until the darkness swallowed her.

“We’ve been looking for you all night. Inej was worried,” Nina informed him. 

“Inej needn’t concern herself over me,” Kaz responded.

“Well she did, asshole. We were all worried. Inej told us about Jordie. What happened?”

“Nina,” Matthias warned. 

“Don’t ‘Nina’ me, Matthias. We deserve to know what’s going on.”

Kaz kept his eyes on the well, but eventually he started talking. “Van Eck offered to partner with us on the hunt for the gold. But he slipped up and revealed that he knew about my brother’s secret message in the compass. He tried to kill me, I escaped. I went to Anika. She told me all about Van Eck and Rollins, how they killed Jordie and were working with Per Haskell to find the gold. I went to confront Van Eck, but I found Wylan first. Jesper chose Wylan over the Dregs. I said goodbye to Jordie. I came here to check on the gold.”

Nina and Matthias were quiet for a moment after he finished. Out of the corner of his eye, Kaz saw Nina lift her hand to reach out to him, but she stopped herself and dropped her hand before she touched him. “I’m sorry.”

“Not as sorry as Van Eck and Rollins will be,” Kaz promised.

Inej reappeared, climbing quickly. When she was close to the top, Kaz reached down and pulled her back up and over the side of the well. “The gold?” he asked.

“Kaz, it’s gone. There was nothing there,” Inej told him.

Kaz’s grip on his cane tightened. He turned and stalked back to the van, the others following him. He was tired of losing to Van Eck and Rollins. It was time to change the game.

*-*

Jesper was still sleeping when Colm knocked on his door late the next morning. He blinked blearily up at his Da. “What is it?”

“I had a request put in for a job at the airstrip. Jan Van Eck is flying out on his big plane, he said it’s too heavy and it needs a longer runway. I’m going to clear some palms out of the way, do you want to help? They need it done as soon as possible, and it’s good money,” Colm offered.

“You’re working for Van Eck? Da, he’s awful! He’s a thief, and a liar, and an asshole!” Jesper declared.

“Language,” Colm scolded. “You may not like him, but we could use the money. I take it you don’t want to come?” Jesper shook his head, and Colm sighed. “All right. I’ll see you later.” 

Jesper got out of bed and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. He needed to check on Wylan. His merchling was sure to have a million questions after last night. If he even wanted to be Jesper’s merchling anymore. Saints, this whole thing had gone sideways. 

After he finished eating, he found some clean clothes and got ready to see Wylan. Hopefully Wylan’s father wouldn’t be home, since he needed people to clear the airstrip for him. Maybe he was leaving for a while, if he had to take the big plane and it was going to be heavy. That would make Wylan happy, and it would be so much easier to hang out with the merchling. He wondered what Jan Van Eck would need such a big plane for. Probably his ego.

Jesper stopped in his tracks. Kaz had told Inej that Jan Van Eck and Pekka Rollins had been looking for the gold, too. Gold was heavy, and there had definitely been a lot of it. And they suddenly needed the airstrip cleared today. But there was no way they had found the gold. Right?

He needed to find the Dregs. 

Jesper raced out the door and saw Inej’s SUV parked out front. He went back in the house for the keys. Hopefully, this was all in his head and he could just return Inej’s car and go find Wylan. But if there was any chance he was right, he had to tell the others.

Jesper stomped on the gas and careened down the street. He sped through town and made it to the Slat in record time. He sighed in relief when he saw Kaz’s van parked by the house. He ran to the Slat, yelling the whole way. “Guys, are you here?!” He wrenched open the door and found the others sitting in the living room. Kaz was looking murderous again, and Inej, Nina, and Matthias looked upset, too.

“Jesper. Come to betray us again?” Kaz growled. 

“No… the gold…” Jesper panted.

“It’s gone,” Matthias said.

“I went into the well myself, it was empty,” Inej added.

“Van Eck and Rollins bought the property, so we know who took it,” Nina grumbled.

“I know where it is,” Jesper said.

Four heads snapped to look at him. “Where?” Kaz asked, eyes narrowing.

“My Da said he was going to do a job for Van Eck. He went to the airstrip to clear palm trees to make a bigger runway for Van Eck’s big plane. It’s too heavy and needs more space to take off.”

“He’s flying it out!” Nina gasped.

“As soon as the runway is clear,” Jesper confirmed.

“Not if we can help it,” Kaz said. “Let’s go stop a plane.”

*-*

Jan and Pekka were finalizing their plans in Van Eck’s office. The airstrip was being cleared, the plane was being loaded, and Jan was almost ready to leave. 

“I’ve told Alys I’m going away on business. I’ve booked tickets for the two of you on a plane departing next week. That should give you enough time to sort out the affairs here,” Jan said.

“And the gold?” Pekka questioned.

“I’ve made arrangements with my contacts in the Southern Colonies. They’ll be waiting for me as soon as the wheels hit the ground.”

“So we did it!”

“There’s just a few loose ends to tie up. Mister Brekker knows about his brother.”

“We can say that was an accident, it’s our word against a Dreg’s.”

“He already told my son, and no doubt the rest of his little gang.”

“You want me to get rid of them?” Pekka raised his brows.

“No, that’ll be too suspicious. However, I’ll be taking Wylan with me. I’ve made some… arrangements for him in the Southern Colonies as well.”

“Jan, he’s your kid.”

“He’s a mistake,” Van Eck corrected. “One that will soon be erased.”

*-*

Rotty and Specht pulled up to an abandoned building. Rotty had received an anonymous message at the station, asking for a meeting. The note had given a time and place, and requested that he come alone.

“Sure you don’t want me with you?” Specht asked.

“Just wait here. I’ll call over the radio if I need backup,” Rotty replied. He stepped out of the Stadwatch vehicle and made his way inside. He wasn’t surprised when he saw who had called the meeting.

Anika was pacing around the room. She stopped when she heard the door open and sighed in relief when she saw Rotty walk in alone. He hardly got two steps inside before she started telling the whole story, the truth about Jordie Brekker’s disappearance, Per Haskell’s reason for going to the deserted island, the two men invading her house, the search for the _Jurda Parem_ , and everything she knew about Jan Van Eck and Pekka Rollins. Rotty took it all in, and his suspicions were confirmed one by one.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I was so scared,” Anika cried.

“You did the right thing in the end,” Rotty assured.

“How much did you know?” Anika asked.

“Van Eck called in a favor and asked me to get him Jordie’s compass. I had a feeling about the who, and I knew why. You filled in the how. Thank you for your help.”  
Rotty turned to head back out to his car. Anika’s voice stopped him. 

“Be careful, Sheriff. Van Eck and Rollins are powerful men,” she called.

“I know,” Rotty acknowledged. He pushed the door open. Powerful or not, Jan Van Eck and Pekka Rollins would not be getting away with what they had done.

*-*

Wylan had been suspicious when his father had come to his room and told him to pack a bag. It had been years since he’d been allowed to accompany his father on business. Once his father had learned that Wylan would never be able to read, it had been made clear that he would never have anything to do with the company. They kept up appearances for the public, but Wylan knew his father despised him. 

His father was driving them to their private airstrip. Wylan had been told to pack light, that his father had business in the Southern Colonies and that he would ‘feel better if he could keep an eye on Wylan with everything going on.’ His father was up to something, but Wylan had no clue as to what it was.

The plane was out on the runway and men were loading large boxes into the cargo hold. Wylan watched as the men struggled under the weight of the boxes. What was his father up to?

Jan parked the car by the hangar and got out. One of the workers came over and began warning his father about the weight of the plane. They discussed how much space had been cleared at the end of the runway and the best way to takeoff with such a heavy load.

Wylan exited the car and went over to one of the workers. “Excuse me, what’s in these boxes?” The worker shrugged. Wylan walked up to one of the boxes and searched for a way to open it. His hand was slapped away from the box, and Wylan whirled to find himself face to face with his father. 

“Do not touch that,” his father glared.

“What’s in the boxes? Why are we going to the Southern Colonies?” Wylan questioned.

“It’s none of your concern.”

“Then I don’t see why I need to come along.” 

“Of course, you choose now to grow a spine,” Jan sighed. 

Wylan turned to walk away but his father grabbed his arm and jerked him back. “Ow!” Wylan yelped.

His father’s gaze flitted around to the crew, who had looked up at the sound of Wylan’s pained cry. “So sorry, my son is a nervous flier,” he called, a smile pasted on his face. The crew finished up their work and started clearing the runway. Jan turned back to Wylan and dropped the act. “Don’t make a scene. You will get on this plane.”

“I don’t want to go with you,” Wylan said defiantly. He started to walk away when his father seized him. Jan’s arms were wrapped around Wylan’s torso, and he was dragging Wylan toward the plane. Wylan struggled against his father’s hold. “Let me go!”

Jan bent so that his lips were close to Wylan’s ear. “You will get on this plane, or I will tell Pekka to kill your friends, starting with Jesper Fahey,” he hissed.

Wylan froze. “You wouldn’t,” he whispered. 

“I was worried that it would be too suspicious, but accidents happen all the time in the Barrel,” Jan threatened. “Do we have an understanding?”

Wylan nodded. Jan shoved Wylan toward the plane. He stumbled and fell onto the steps leading into the cabin. His father pulled him up by the back of his shirt and hurried him onto the plane. Wylan’s heart sank. He had a feeling that by saving his friends, he’d just sealed his own doomed fate.

*-*

After Jesper had filled them in on the location of the gold, they had piled into Kaz’s van and headed out. Kaz laid out the plan as he drove. “We get on the runway, stop the plane, make Jan Van Eck beg for mercy, steal as much of the gold as we can, and get the hell out. No mourners.” 

The Dregs nodded. “No funerals.”

Kaz stopped the van by the perimeter fence at the Van Eck’s airfield. Everyone got out of the van and stood by the fence. The plane was visible to everyone from this distance, but they needed a closer look. Matthias used his binoculars to see what was happening. “They’re loading up the gold.”

Kaz snatched the binoculars and looked for himself. He saw a car pull up to the hangar. “Van Eck just arrived,” he snarled.

Inej took the binoculars from Kaz. Something she saw made her gasp.

“What is it, Inej?” Nina asked.

“Wylan’s with him. He just got out of the car,” she replied.

“What? Wylan can’t be here, there’s no way!” Jesper argued.

“Still think he had no part in this?” Kaz sneered.

“You don’t get it, Wylan’s dad hates him. He wouldn’t…” Jesper grabbed the binoculars and looked through them. Sure enough, Wylan was there, talking to his father. Jesper watched as Wylan turned to walk away. Van Eck grabbed him and started dragging him to the plane. “Wait, guys, he’s hurting him!”

“What?” Nina took the binoculars from Jesper. “Saints, he is! Van Eck just forced Wylan onto the plane!”

Jesper was furious. No one hurt his merchling. He stormed over to the van. Kaz had left it running so they could keep going onto the runway once they had assessed the situation. He got into the van and put it in drive, heading straight for the fence.

“Jesper, what are you doing?” Matthias called.

“Jes, stop!” Nina cried.

“Get back here with my van!” Kaz shouted.

Jesper sped straight through the fence, busting it down. The windshield cracked, so he stuck his head out the open driver’s window to see where he was going. He kept the pedal to the floor and raced across the airfield. The plane’s engines were already roaring. It started to taxi, so Jesper followed it down the runway.

Jesper pulled up even with the cockpit. He glanced over and saw Wylan in the copilot’s seat through the plane’s window. Wylan looked out and gasped when he saw Jesper and the van. Jesper saw Jan Van Eck peer around Wylan. Van Eck glared and reached up to the throttle. Wylan turned and fought his father for control of the plane. Jesper took that as his opportunity to speed past the plane. When he was far enough ahead, he braked and spun the wheel to block the path of the plane. 

Jesper watched as the plane came barreling down the runway toward him. Through the cockpit window, he saw Van Eck pull the brake. Jesper cringed, anticipating an impact. When none came, he looked up to find that the plane had stopped a few feet shy of the van.

Jesper threw open the van’s door and ran to the plane. “Wylan!” he shouted.

The door to the plane opened and Van Eck came down the stairs in a rage. “What in Ghezen’s name are you doing?!”

Wylan ran off the plane. “Jesper!” He threw himself into Jesper’s arms, and Jesper held him tight.

Van Eck made a grab for Wylan. “Get back here, you moron!”

“Don’t touch him!” Jesper growled. He pushed Wylan behind him, getting in between father and son.

The sound of approaching sirens made everyone freeze.

*-*

The Dregs watched with dread as Jesper raced the plane with the van. 

“He’s going to get himself killed!” Matthias exclaimed.

“He’s going to wreck my van,” Kaz grumbled.

“At least he returned my car in one piece after he stole it,” Inej mused.

“Damn, that’s two counts of grand theft auto in two days. Maybe Wylan was the bad influence after all,” Nina said. 

Tires screeched as the van turned in front of the plane. Inej gasped. Nina buried her head into Matthias’s shoulder. 

But no crash came. The plane had stopped just in time.

“Thank the Saints,” Inej breathed.

They waited for a minute to see if Jesper signaled them. When nothing happened, Nina, Matthias, and Inej looked to Kaz. He held up a hand and pointed to his ear. The others listened and heard the faint sound of sirens.

“We should get Jesper out of there, Wylan too,” Nina said.

“There’s no time. We’re no good if we’re all in jail. We have to go.” Kaz started walking through the trees away from the airfield. The others followed. Jesper was on his   
own.

*-*

Jan Van Eck smiled as the sirens got closer. “Perfect timing. The Stadwatch can deal with you.” He turned as a purple vehicle came onto the runway.

“Jesper, you have to go, you have to get out of here,” Wylan whispered. He tried to push Jesper away, but Jesper stood his ground. 

Sheriff Rotty stepped out of the car. Jan called to him “Thank Ghezen you’re here, I don’t know what’s wrong with these children. First, Kaz Brekker attacks me and now this!”

“Put your hands on your head,” Rotty said.

Jan turned to Jesper and Wylan. “I’d do what he says, Mister Fahey.”

“Pretty sure he’s talking to you, Van Eck,” Jesper smirked.

Jan turned back to the Sheriff and found a gun pointed at him. “Sheriff?”

“Jan Van Eck, you’re under arrest for the murder of Jordie Brekker. Put your hands on your head.” Rotty announced.

“You cannot be serious!” Van Eck yelled.

“Put your hands on your head!” Rotty repeated. Van Eck slowly moved to comply. “Turn around, and get on your knees.” When Van Eck did as he was told, Rotty moved forward. He holstered his gun and pulled out his handcuffs. As he was putting on the first cuff, Van Eck pulled his hands away. Rotty grabbed his gun and pointed it at Van Eck again. 

Jesper tensed and Wylan gasped as a shot rang out. Rotty was breathing hard, and Van Eck was kneeling on the ground.

Sheriff Rotty looked down and saw blood spreading across his Stadwatch uniform. He dropped to the ground.

Pekka Rollins came around the back of the plane, smoke still coming off the barrel of his gun. “I’m starting to think this gold is more trouble than it’s worth. But we’ve come this far, and I’ll be damned if we lose out on the thirty million now.”

Jesper and Wylan stared at the man in horror, but it was Jan that asked “Pekka, what did you do?”

“Just trying to finish what we started, Jan,” Pekka shrugged. He turned the gun on Jesper and Wylan. “And like you said, there’s just a few more loose ends.”


	9. The Manhunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was my sister's birthday on Monday, so she just finished reading this chapter. Here we go, I can't believe I'll be posting the final chapter next week! It's another wild ride this chapter, hope you enjoy!  
> Ok, so the character death does happen in this chapter, and there is some graphic-ish descriptions of blood and injury from a gunshot wound. Please be careful if this is triggering for you!  
> Thank you for reading!  
> As always, I own nothing.

“Pekka, what were you thinking? You shot the Sheriff!” Jan roared. He stood and went to Pekka.

“He was about to arrest you, would you have preferred going to prison?” Pekka spat.

“Our lawyers could have handled that! There’s no evidence!”

Pekka lowered the gun and focused all his attention on Van Eck. While the two men argued, Jesper ran to Sheriff Rotty’s side. His breathing was ragged, and he clutched at the wound in his shoulder. Jesper leant down to put pressure on the wound.

“Call… call for help… radio…” Rotty wheezed. Jesper saw the radio clipped to Rotty’s shirt and grabbed it. 

“What are you doing?” Pekka yelled. He pointed the gun at Jesper. “Don’t even think about it!”

Jesper stared up at him, finger hovering over the call button.

“Give me the radio, Fahey,” Van Eck ordered. Jesper didn’t move. Jan looked at Jesper, considering him. “Pekka, shoot Wylan.” Pekka changed his aim for Wylan, who was still standing by the plane, frozen in shock.

“No! No, here, take it!” Jesper shouted desperately, handing the radio to Van Eck. Van Eck took the radio over to Pekka. They started a hushed, hurried conversation.

“Run… Get out of here…” Rotty urged.

“I’m so sorry,” Jesper choked out. He looked up at Rollins and Van Eck. They had their backs turned to him. He got up slowly and crept over to Wylan. “We have to go.”

“Jes, I’ll only slow you down, you have to run,” Wylan pleaded.

“I’m not leaving you here,” Jesper argued.

“You have to, please, go,” Wylan said.

“Hey!” Pekka called.

“Go!” Wylan shoved Jesper around the plane and ran for Pekka. Pekka had aimed at Jesper’s retreating figure, but Wylan pushed his hand up so the shot fired into the air. Van Eck pulled Wylan away from Pekka and threw him to the ground. Pekka fired another few shots in the direction Jesper had fled, and cursed when he was out of range.

Wylan crawled over to the Sheriff and put pressure on the wound. “I’m sorry,” he whimpered.

Pekka rounded on Wylan and pointed the gun at him. “You let him get away!” 

“Pekka, stop,” Van Eck commanded.

“Why? You were going to have him killed in the Southern Colonies, anyway,” Pekka sneered. Wylan flinched, and he looked to his father with wide eyes.

“It’ll raise too many questions here. We’ve already got one body to deal with. Besides, we may be able to use him against the Dregs. It’s already proven quite successful against Mister Fahey,” Van Eck reasoned. 

“A man is dying! What is wrong with you? Call for help!” Wylan cried.

“Take Wylan back to Bayurhill, and make sure he stays there. I’ll take care of things here,” Van Eck said. 

Pekka nodded. He grabbed Wylan and dragged him down the runway toward the truck he had arrived in. Wylan struggled the whole way, trying to get back to the Sheriff to help him. Pekka opened the door to his truck and tossed Wylan into the passenger seat. 

Jan watched as Pekka’s truck drove away, and looked down at the Sheriff. Rotty was reaching for his gun, and Jan kicked it further away. “We could’ve worked something out, Sheriff. I’m sorry it had to end this way. Nothing personal, it’s just business.”

Jan climbed back into the plane. He went into the cockpit and put on the pilot headset. He put in a call to a backup pilot, explaining that there had been an accident on the runway. The backup pilot agreed to fly the plane out, and said he was on his way.

Van Eck exited the plane and picked up the police radio. He pushed down the call button. “This is Jan Van Eck, there is an officer down on the airstrip. Repeat, Sheriff Rotty is down, he’s been shot, and it’s bad. Send help.” He let go of the button and listened to the static for a moment.

“Specht responding. I’m on my way,” a voice came over the radio.

Jan sighed. He had a story in mind, and now he could focus on the details before the Stadwatch arrived.

*-*

Jesper had run for the hole in the fence he had made with the van. He hated leaving Wylan behind, but if he wanted to help him, he had to get away from Van Eck and Rollins first. Jesper ducked and zig-zagged to avoid being shot, but the gunfire had stopped when he reached the perimeter fence. He ran blindly through the trees, not even realizing that they were thinning out until he was hit by a car on the road.

Jesper rolled over the hood of the car and onto the ground. He barely registered the driver getting out of the car, asking if he was all right. Jesper got up slowly, surprised that he still could, and took off again. He couldn’t be caught by Rollins and Van Eck, not when Wylan had given himself up to save him. Jesper needed a place to lay low. He kept running, heading for the junk yard the Dregs had passed on their way to the airstrip. He could take cover there and think about what to do next.

He slowed down when he reached the junk yard. A plane’s engine sounded overhead, and Jesper looked up to see Van Eck’s plane flying through the air. The gold was gone.

Jesper heard a crash from around a pile of junk. “Damn it!” someone shouted, followed by a quieter voice trying to calm people down. Jesper had caught up with the others. 

He walked around the junk pile and caught Matthias muttering something about this job being for nothing. Inej gasped when he came into view, and suddenly he was surrounded by the other Dregs.

“What happened?”

“Is that your blood?”

“Where’s Wylan?”

“Jesper talk to us!”

Jesper wasn’t even sure he knew who said what, their voices were blending together and he couldn’t focus. He looked down at his bloodstained hands. There was so much blood.

Someone reached up and cupped his cheek softly, pulling his gaze away from his hands. He was looking at Inej now, and he saw concern in her face. “Can you tell us what happened?” she asked gently.

“Sheriff Rotty came to arrest Jan Van Eck for Jordie’s murder. Pekka Rollins shot Sheriff Rotty. I tried to save him, but he told me to run. I wanted Wylan to come with me, but he stayed behind and helped me get away. I left them both there, what if they’re dead?” Jesper’s voice broke at the last part, and Nina and Inej pulled him into a hug. 

Sirens sounded, and a Stadwatch vehicle sped down the road heading for the airfield. The Dregs all crouched to avoid being seen. The car went right by them.

“Did you call for help on the police radio?” Kaz asked. 

Jesper shook his head. “They wouldn’t let me. Van Eck told Rollins to shoot Wylan if I tried.”

“Then someone else must have called. We need to find out what story Van Eck is selling,” Kaz stood and motioned for the others to follow. It was a long walk back to town, and the sooner they knew what they were up against, the sooner they could figure out their next move. 

*-*

Wylan’s heart was racing almost as fast as Pekka Rollins was driving back to Bayurhill. He was still reeling from everything. His father and Pekka Rollins had gotten away with the gold. The Sheriff was dying, if he wasn’t dead already. Jesper had escaped, thank Ghezen. The least shocking thing Wylan had learned in the last hour was that his father had arranged for Wylan to be killed in the Southern Colonies. While that had been prevented, Wylan knew it was only a stay of execution. He was only alive right now because his father wanted leverage against the Dregs. 

Wylan shuddered at the memory of his father’s face when he had said he would take care of things at the airfield. His father had been smiling cruelly, and there had been a dangerous glint to his eye. Jan Van Eck had a plan to explain everything away, and Wylan knew that whatever it was, it would be disastrous for Jesper and his friends.

The car slowed down once they reached the more populated roads that ran through the heart of the Geldin District. Wylan figured Rollins was trying to not draw attention to the fact that he was driving Wylan through town in bloodstained clothes. It would ruin whatever plan he and his father had concocted. Wylan looked over to Rollins. The man had a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel and he was not concerned with Wylan at all. He turned the truck into the Bayurhill driveway. Wylan considered his options. If they made it to the house, Wylan would be a prisoner with little hope of making it out alive. If he wanted to escape, he’d have to do it now.

With a final glance at Rollins, Wylan seized the door handle of the truck and made to leap out of the car. Rollins heard the door open and yelled “Stay in the car, you little shit!” He lunged across Wylan and they fought for control of the door. Wylan put forth a valiant effort, but Rollins got in a lucky elbow to Wylan’s stomach. Wylan’s grip on the door handle slipped, and Rollins shut the door as Wylan wheezed.

“We’re going in the house now. You’re going to get cleaned up, and then you’re going to stay in your room. If you even think about trying anything, I’m going Dreg hunting,” Rollins snarled. He got out of the truck and walked around to the passenger side to escort Wylan to the house.

Alys walked up the driveway with Rufus. “Come on, Rufus, good boy,” she was cooing. She looked up and smiled at them. “Hello, Pekka. Hello… Wylan aren’t you supposed to be on the plane with Jan? And look at you, you’re a mess!”

“He’s all right, Alys, just a nervous flier. Got himself all worked up, gave himself a nosebleed. Jan told me to bring him home. He’ll be back shortly, just had to wait for someone else to fly the plane,” Rollins explained.

“Oh, you poor thing! Rufus and I will make you some cookies, won’t we Rufus? Yes, we will!” Alys was cooing again. Rufus barked. They disappeared into the house, presumably to get started on the cookies.

Rollins grabbed Wylan’s arm and marched him into the house. As they crossed the threshold, Wylan couldn’t help but feel defeated. The game was over for him. He just hoped he hadn’t brought the Dregs down with him.

*-*

Sirens approached the airfield for the second time that day as Specht’s Stadwatch vehicle sped down the runway. The car screeched to a stop in front of two figures on the ground. Specht was only in the car long enough to put it in park. He grabbed his first aid kit and ran towards the crime scene. Specht passed Rotty’s vehicle and saw a van he thought belonged to Kaz Brekker parked further down the runway. 

Jan Van Eck looked up at him from his kneeling position over Sheriff Rotty. He was doing chest compressions on the Sheriff. Specht nearly gagged at the large pool of blood coming from Rotty.

“Specht, help me!” Van Eck shouted.

Specht fell to his knees beside Rotty and grabbed for his wrist. There was a pulse, but only just. “Rotty!” Specht yelled. Rotty didn’t even stir. Specht looked at Van Eck. “How long has he been unresponsive?”

“I don’t know, how long has it been since I called you?” Van Eck asked. 

Specht reached for his radio. “Is there an ambulance on the way to the airfield?” he barked into it.

“It’s still twenty minutes out,” a voice responded.

Specht knew Rotty didn’t have that kind of time. He spoke into the radio again. “I’m transporting Sheriff Rotty to the hospital myself. Tell the medik to be ready for a gunshot wound.” Specht looked at Van Eck. “Help me get him into the car.” Van Eck nodded. They picked up Sheriff Rotty and put him in the backseat. Specht climbed into the backseat with him to keep pressure on the wound. Van Eck hesitated, and Specht shouted, “Keys are in the ignition, get us to the Ghezen-damned hospital!” Van Eck jumped into the driver’s seat and they took off. 

Specht kept his hands clamped on Rotty’s wounded shoulder. He turned his head to look at Van Eck. “What the hell happened?”

“You saw the van, what do you think happened?” Van Eck spat.

“Brekker did this?” 

“Brekker and Fahey. After yesterday, I was uncomfortable with going out while Brekker was still roaming the streets. Sheriff Rotty was kind enough to accompany me to the airfield so I could see to it that my plane left as scheduled. We were just leaving when that van pulled up. Brekker and Fahey got out of the van, they pulled guns on me. Rotty was trying to calm them down, and Fahey shot him. I fired Fahey last week because he was stealing from me, and I had heard that he was shooting guns at a party at the Exchange. And I’m sure you remember my report about what happened with Brekker on my boat yesterday. I never meant for Sheriff Rotty to get hurt.”

Specht shook with anger. Sheriff Rotty was a good man, the best. He didn’t deserve to go out like this. “Rotty needs the medik now, are we almost there?”

Van Eck turned into the parking lot of the hospital. The medik team was waiting by the doors. Specht relayed the situation to them as they pulled Rotty onto a stretcher. Specht followed as far as he could and watched as the Sheriff disappeared behind double doors.

Van Eck came up behind Specht. “I am sorry. We did all that we could. I pray to Ghezen it was enough.”

Specht nodded. He turned to Van Eck. “Thank you for your help. I’ve got work to do. Brekker and Fahey won’t get away with this.”

“As well they shouldn’t,” Van Eck acknowledged.

Specht returned to his vehicle and got into the driver’s seat. He adjusted the rearview mirror so he wouldn’t have to see the Sheriff’s blood staining his backseat. Specht needed to find these kids, fast, before anyone else got hurt.

*-*

The Dregs were in Inej’s SUV. It was dark now, but the Stadwatch station was buzzing with activity. Officers were streaming into the building. From what The Dregs could tell, an emergency all-call had been made.

Kaz was behind the wheel, watching as the officers made their way into the station. Inej was beside him, Matthias, Nina, and Jesper in the back. Nina looked sideways to Jesper. He had been uncharacteristically quiet, shaken after the events at the airfield. He had scrubbed his hands raw trying to get the Sheriff’s blood off of them, and he kept his hands jammed in the pockets of his jacket to keep from looking at them. 

“What are we doing here? We aren’t on the best terms with the Stadwatch on a good day,” Nina pointed out. 

“We need to know what they know,” Kaz replied. He looked around the parking lot, there was no one else in sight. “Inej, think you can sneak in and listen to their meeting?” Inej nodded and slipped out of the car. She melted into the shadows as only Inej could, and the rest of the Dregs couldn’t see where she went.

“What do you think Van Eck and Rollins told them?” Matthias asked.

“Whatever it is, it probably isn’t good for us,” Kaz said.

“Maybe we should, I don’t know, be anywhere but the Stadwatch station parking lot?” Nina suggested. “I can’t believe you sent Inej in there alone.”

“She’ll be fine,” Kaz snapped. Nina heard the hint of worry in his voice, the worry he only ever had for Inej.

After a moment of silence, Nina turned to Jesper. “How are you holding up, Jes?”

Jesper didn’t answer at first, but then he whispered. “Do you think Wylan’s ok? He told me his dad hated him, but I never thought a father could ever tell someone to shoot their own son.”

Nina wrapped an arm around Jesper’s shoulders. “I’m sure he’ll be ok.”

“You don’t know that Nina! Wylan was terrified, but he saved me. And I left him there! It’s my fault!” Jesper cried. 

Nina pulled Jesper into a full hug, not caring that their seated positions made it awkward. Jesper sobbed into her shoulder, and she rubbed his back. Nina turned her head to look at Kaz and Matthias. Kaz was watching the building intently. Matthias had stiffened behind her, and she could tell he was uncomfortable. 

The passenger door opened and Inej climbed into the car. “Kaz, we need to go.”

“What did you hear?”

“The Sheriff died in surgery. The Stadwatch have all been told to be on the lookout for two suspects. They think Jesper shot the Sheriff, and that you put him up to it,” Inej reported. 

Jesper stopped crying and froze in Nina’s hold. “What?” he yelped.

Kaz didn’t say anything, just started the car and drove.

*-*

Jan walked through the backdoor of Bayurhill and went straight to the kitchen sink. He washed his hands for the hundredth time, still feeling the Sheriff’s blood there. Pekka came into the kitchen, crossed his arms, and leaned on the door frame. “What happened?” he asked.

“Sheriff Rotty didn’t make it,” Jan answered.

“What did you tell the Stadwatch?”

“Not here, Pekka,” Jan hissed. He finished washing his hands and pushed past Pekka. Jan and Pekka went upstairs to Jan’s office and closed the door. Jan went over to his desk and leaned against it. “I told the Stadwatch that Jesper Fahey shot the Sheriff on Kaz Brekker’s orders. I said he aimed for me and the Sheriff got shot trying to protect me.”

Pekka grinned. “What a perfect story.”

“If anyone asks, you were repairing the damage on the _Red Laurel_ after Kaz Brekker’s attack,” Jan said.

“Sure. What about Wylan?”

“What about Wylan?”

“You think he won’t try to save his friends? He already tried to escape from the car.”

“Leave him to me. Is he in his room?”

“Yeah, he cleaned up and I got rid of the bloody clothes, just like you said.”

“Good, good,” Van Eck nodded. He reached across the desk and took a key out of his drawer. He crossed the room and went down the hall to Wylan’s room. Jan threw open the door to find Wylan sitting in his bed with his knees drawn into his chest. Wylan sprang out of bed and stood next to it, wringing his hands nervously. 

“Is… Did the Sheriff make it?” Wylan asked.

“He’s dead,” Jan said. Wylan sank back down onto the bed. “The Stadwatch will be starting a search of the whole island for the murderer.”

“It shouldn’t take them too long to find Mr. Rollins,” Wylan said.

“They won’t be looking for Mr. Rollins.”

“But…”

“They’ll be looking for Jesper Fahey and Kaz Brekker.”

Wylan paled and looked up at his father with wide eyes. “They didn’t do this. Jesper tried to save the Sheriff. Kaz wasn’t even there!”

“But who will believe them?”

“I was there, I’ll tell the Stadwatch what happened…”

“I’m afraid you won’t have the opportunity,” Jan smiled cruelly at his son. “The Dregs are still out there, and you are to remain at Bayurhill until they are apprehended. It’s for your safety.”

“No!”

Jan exited Wylan’s bedroom and shut the door. He took the key he had retrieved from his desk and locked Wylan inside his room. He heard Wylan run across the room and bang on the door. “Let me out!”

Alys came around the corner, her tiny dog following at her heels. “Is everything all right, Jan?”

“Yes, Alys, everything’s fine,” Jan sighed.

“Is Wylan still not feeling well? He looked awful when Pekka brought him home from the airfield,” Alys remarked, eyes filling with concern. 

“He’s very sick, Alys. In fact, he might be contagious,” Jan told her.

“Don’t be silly, nosebleeds aren’t contagious,” Alys giggled.

“I think it’d be best if we leave him alone, give him some time to recover. You wouldn’t want to get sick.”

“But Pekka said…”

“I don’t care what Pekka said! Wylan is my son, and I know what’s best for him,” Jan shouted.

Alys’s chin began to wobble, and tears were forming in her eyes. “I was only trying to help.”

Jan sighed again. Alys was exasperating. “Of course, forgive me. It’s been a long day,” he tried to smooth things over.

Alys brightened. “Then you could use some cookies, too!” She walked toward the stairs, scooping up Rufus as she went. 

Jan groaned and ran a hand down his face. He returned to his office and put the key to Wylan’s room back in his desk drawer. Pekka had certainly complicated matters by killing the Sheriff, but this whole thing could still work in his favor. The sooner the Dregs were caught, the better. If only he could motivate the whole island to be on the lookout for the teens.

Another plan came to mind, and Jan smiled to himself at the thought. He left his office and went out to his car. He needed to go to the Stadwatch station. 

The Dregs wouldn’t know what hit them.

*-*

Specht looked around the bullpen at the other Stadwatch officers. One of the other deputies had taken roll call and most of the Stadwatch was in attendance. As acting Sheriff, Specht now had the unfortunate task of telling his fellow officers what had happened earlier. He stepped to the front of the room and cleared his throat. A hush fell over the gathered Stadwatch.

“Earlier today, we received a call of an officer down at the airfield. When I arrived at the scene, Sheriff Rotty was unresponsive after being shot in the shoulder. I transported Rotty to the hospital, and the medik did everything they could. Sheriff Rotty died on the table,” Specht announced. There were a few gasps, but Specht held up a hand to quiet them. “Jan Van Eck was at the airfield with Sheriff Rotty, and he told us what happened. He said that two suspects arrived on the runway in a van. They got out of the vehicle and threatened Mr. Van Eck, and one pulled a gun. Rotty tried to help, and got shot in the crossfire. The shooter was a teenager, Jesper Fahey, and the other suspect is Kaz Brekker.”

All hell broke loose. Officers were shouting in outrage, others were stunned into silence. Rotty could have sworn he saw the door to the station open and close, but he hadn’t seen anyone get up to leave, so he passed it off as a trick of the light. 

“So, two kids shot the Sheriff?” a voice called out over the chaos.

“That’s what Van Eck said,” Specht confirmed.

“Were there any other witnesses?” another asked.

“According to Van Eck, it was just him, Brekker, Fahey, and Rotty on the runway. However, we do have a witness who was driving by the airfield that says a teenager ran into the road and got hit by his car. The driver said the kid got up and kept running, but he was covered in blood. We showed him some pictures, and he identified Jesper Fahey. So that’s two people that put Fahey at the scene. The driver let us take a sample of the blood that was smeared on his car, crime scene techs matched the blood type to Rotty.”

“What’s the plan, Specht?”

“Judge says we have enough evidence for a manhunt for Fahey, but not enough for Brekker. They’re friends, so if we find one, we may find the other. First thing we gotta do is lock Ketterdam down. The ferry will be suspended, and we will be setting up patrols throughout the island. TV stations are still down, so we’ll put it out on radio broadcast to alert the citizens. And we’ll need to make some posters,” Specht ordered.

“You can put a reward on the posters as well,” a new voice added. Specht looked up to find Jan Van Eck in the doorway. “10,000 kruge to whoever brings them in.”

Murmurs went through the crowd. Specht made his way through the officers to Van Eck. “You don’t have to do that, Mr. Van Eck,” Specht whispered.

“I insist. Sheriff Rotty was a good man, and he was killed protecting me. A reward is bound to get the public’s help in the search for these criminals,” Van Eck replied.

“We can only make posters for Fahey, Brekker’s just a person of interest,” Specht said.

Van Eck’s eyes flashed in anger for a moment before he composed himself. “Then make it 25,000 kruge for the capture of Jesper Fahey, dead or alive.”

Specht looked at Van Eck sharply. “We want him brought in alive, we’ll need to question him.”

“Is my word not good enough for you?” Van Eck hissed.

“Of course it is, Mr. Van Eck, but we need to do this the right way,” Specht reassured. Van Eck nodded and walked out of the station.

Specht turned back to the other Stadwatch officers. “You heard the man, a 25,000 kruge reward for whoever finds Fahey. Be on the lookout for Brekker, too. I want them found, and I want them brought in alive.” 

The officers dispersed. Specht walked through the bustling bodies into Rotty’s office and sat in one of the guest chairs facing the desk. Something about this whole situation wasn’t sitting right with him, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He knew Brekker and Fahey could be trouble, but he never would have guessed that they would do something like this. Van Eck’s reward offer was a good idea, but he had almost seemed eager at the thought of killing a teenager. 

Specht looked at Rotty’s chair. He couldn’t help but feel that Rotty had figured something out, something Specht was still missing. He only hoped Rotty hadn’t taken the truth to the grave.

*-*

_“According to officials, the powerlines that provide power to the island are almost fully functional. Power should be restored to Ketterdam sometime in the next 24 hours. In other news, there has been no arrest made in the death of Sheriff Rotty. The Stadwatch have issued a statement regarding a suspect, a local juvenile by the name of Jesper Fahey…”_

Inej switched off the radio in the car. The Dregs were still in the SUV. Kaz had parked the car in a wooded area away from the road. They couldn’t go back to the Slat or to any of their houses, as the Stadwatch were probably checking out their usual haunts. Dawn was breaking, but the Dregs had gotten very little sleep. They were all thinking about how to get out of this mess.

Sirens blared as a Stadwatch vehicle went down a road nearby, and the Dregs winced and slouched in their seats. 

“So, Kaz, any bright ideas?” Nina asked.

“The Stadwatch are going to keep looking for us. They’ll take the word of a Mercher like Van Eck over ours. We’ll need someone else to come forward with the truth,” Kaz mused.

“Wylan could bail me out, he was there, he saw the whole thing,” Jesper reminded.

“Van Eck has Wylan, and there’s no chance he’ll let Wylan talk to the Stadwatch. I think we need to get Jesper out of Ketterdam,” Kaz said.

“I can’t just leave! My Da…”

“Kaz, maybe you should go, too. Van Eck told the Stadwatch you were involved…”

Kaz cut Jesper and Inej off. “We need to get Jesper on a ferry if they haven’t shut it down yet. At least until we can figure out how to best Jan Van Eck.” Kaz started the car and drove toward the ferry dock.

“Kaz, there has to be another way,” Jesper pleaded.

“Maybe we can get Wylan away from Van Eck,” Nina suggested.

“That’s a risky move, Nina,” Matthias argued.

“We can’t just leave him with his psychopathic father,” Nina countered.

“I still think Kaz and Jesper should both leave the island,” Inej said.

“Quiet, all of you!” Kaz’s voice rang out above the others. The Dregs all stopped talking. “This is my mess, and I need to clean it up. Jordie left me the clues to find the gold, and I dragged you all along. It’s spiraled out of control, and I’m giving you an out. So take it.”

The rest of the ride to the ferry dock was silent. Jesper had wanted to argue with Kaz some more, but Nina shook her head at him. Inej was watching Kaz, but he stared resolutely at the road and would not acknowledge her.

When they reached the dock, Kaz looked in the rearview mirror at Matthias. “Go get a ticket for Jesper.” Matthias nodded and got out of the car. The Dregs watched as he went over to the booth. He stopped at a notice board and read a few signs before ripping a paper off the board. He walked back to the car quickly and passed the paper to Kaz.

“What’s that?” Nina asked.

Jesper was crouched down in the backseat of the car and hadn’t been watching Matthias. “What’s what?”

“Ferry’s closed,” Matthias said as he got back in the car.

“Looks like the Stadwatch wasted no time. You’re a wanted man, Jesper.” Kaz handed the paper to Inej.

“That’s a lot of money,” Inej commented.

“Did they at least use a good picture of me?” Jesper asked.

“Who are you, Flynn Rider?” Nina snorted.

“Is this really the time to be making jokes?” Matthias wondered.

“Don’t judge me, I’m freaking out and trying to deflect with humor,” Jesper snapped.

“Maybe we can get to _The Wraith_ , Jesper can get away on that,” Inej suggested.

“ _The Wraith_ is at the Slat, we won’t be able to get to it,” Kaz reminded. “However…”

“Inej, I can’t see Kaz, does he have his scheming face on?” Jesper whispered.

“Definitely,” Inej confirmed.

“Nina, your cousin’s friend. The pirate,” Kaz said.

“I think he prefers the term privateer,” Nina corrected.

“Is he in town?” Kaz questioned.

“Who knows where he is,” Nina muttered.

“He had an old boat though, _The Ferolind_ , that your family was keeping for him. Do you still have it?”

Nina’s eyes widened. “Yeah, we can get that.”

Inej was reading over the information on the poster. “Kaz, we need to go, if someone sees Jesper…”

“Hey! Isn’t that the guy?” 

The Dregs all looked out the window and saw a face peering in. A man was pointing at Jesper, who was still slouched down in the backseat. They looked past him and saw a few Stadwatch officers walking around the docks. At the shout, the officers started toward the car.

“Drive, Kaz!” Nina screamed.

Kaz slammed his foot on the gas and took off. The Stadwatch officers ran a few steps after the car, and one reached for their radio to call it in. 

After driving a few miles away from the docks, Kaz hit the brakes. “Jesper, you need to get out.”

“What?” Jesper exclaimed.

“They saw the car, they probably got the license plate. We can lead them away, but you need to run,” Kaz reasoned.

“What about you?” Jesper asked.

“I’m not the one with a 25,000 kruge reward on my head. We’ll get _The Ferolind_ and meet you at Pier 22 tomorrow afternoon, three o’clock. Do not be late,” Kaz said.

“Pier 22, three tomorrow,” Jesper nodded. He opened the door and ran off into the trees Kaz had stopped by. 

“No mourners!” Nina called after him. 

Jesper didn’t answer.

*-*

Alys was singing to herself in the kitchen as she waited for the cook to finish the batches of cookies she requested. Cookies were a great way to make people feel better. She wasn’t sure what kind Jan or Wylan would like, so she had asked for a batch of every kind of cookie she could think of. The chef had been hard at work, and the final batch was just about ready to come out of the oven. 

“Hey, Alys, have you seen Jan?” Pekka asked as he came into the kitchen. 

“No. Is everything all right?” Alys said.

“It’s been a rough couple of days is all, what with Brekker’s attack and the Sheriff’s death,” Pekka shrugged.

“The Sheriff?” Alys gasped.

“Yeah, yesterday, he was shot. He died protecting Jan from Brekker and Fahey,” Pekka told her.

“You mean that nice boy who worked on Jan’s boat? That’s awful!” 

“Not that nice of a kid, if you ask me.”

“No wonder Jan is upset. When did it happen?”

“On the runway yesterday.”

“Weren’t you and Wylan with him?”

Pekka froze for a second, but then smiled. “No, no, it was after Wylan got sick.”

“You said it was a nosebleed,” Alys looked at him strangely.

“Right! Yeah, nosebleed. He’s sick now, though, can’t leave his room,” Pekka was quick to correct himself. “These cookies look great, can I have one?”

Alys hummed and nodded. Pekka took a cookie and left the kitchen. Alys watched him go. Poor Wylan, first a nosebleed and now he was sick. The timer dinged as the last of the cookies finished baking. Just in time. It sounded like Wylan could really use some cheering up.

*-*

Kaz was driving the SUV down backroads, avoiding any and all sirens they heard. He seemed to be driving aimlessly, but Inej could tell that he had a destination in mind.

“Kaz, where are we going?” Inej asked softly.

“The last place anyone will think to look,” Kaz replied. Inej sighed at that, annoyed that Kaz always tried to answer a question without answering. Even now, when their lives were in chaos, he still had to keep tricks up his sleeves.

Eventually Kaz stopped the car and ordered everyone out. They were in the Geldin District, so it took Inej a moment to figure out where they were. Once a grand house came into view, the meaning behind his earlier remark about going to the last place anyone would look was made clear. The Dregs had come to Bayurhill.

Nina gasped behind Inej, she must have figured it out too. “I thought you said Van Eck wouldn’t let us anywhere near Wylan. What are we doing here?”

“He’s the only person who has any chance of clearing me and Jesper, so we’ll have to try. Inej and I will look for Wylan’s room. Nina and Matthias, we need a distraction. Something that will draw them out and keep them occupied for a while,” Kaz instructed. Nina and Matthias nodded and separated from Kaz and Inej.

Kaz began limping towards the house and Inej followed. Before they could get too close to the house, Inej saw Kaz pause. He stopped walking and turned to face her. Inej was surprised to see Kaz hesitate. He was always so sure of his plans, each step calculated. “Where do we start?” Inej prompted.

“You keep saying I should leave with Jesper,” Kaz said.

Inej was startled by the statement. “I say it because it’s true. The Stadwatch believe you and Jesper are both involved in this. They may have less evidence against you, but you’re in just as much danger as he is.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You said it yourself that we need Wylan to clear both you and Jesper. You must know that it isn’t safe for you to stay here.”

“This is my city, I won’t be run out of it.”

“What do you have keeping you here?”

“I want to stay. I want… I want you.”

Inej was stunned by that, and it appeared Kaz had even surprised himself with his declaration. He ran a hand through his hair and he wouldn’t meet Inej’s eyes. 

“Kaz, you’ve been through a lot in the last few days, more than most could handle. But you can’t use whatever feelings you may have for me as your reason to stay. I won’t be the reason you put yourself at risk, and it’s unfair of you to put that on me. You are worth saving, Kaz Brekker, but you have to trust me and our friends to help you.”

Kaz remained silent and refused to look at Inej. 

Inej squared her shoulders. “If this doesn’t work, you need to leave Ketterdam with Jesper. I will have you when it is safe for you to be with me, or I will not have you at all.”

Inej turned on her heel and walked away before she lost her resolve. She heard Kaz follow a few steps behind her, and she took that as his agreement to her terms. 

*-*

Jesper was running through backyards to avoid being seen. He had made his way into the Geldin District because he figured the Stadwatch would be patrolling more heavily in the Barrel. He needed to find a safe place to lay low for a while and get some rest. It was getting dark, and he had spent the entire afternoon hopping fences and running. He couldn’t keep it up much longer.

He came to the end of a row of houses and stopped. He listened and looked for anyone who might be coming before dashing across the street. As he did, he noticed a light pooling onto the driveway from an open garage door attached to one of the houses. Jesper made a break for the garage and found that it was empty. He hit the light switch, shut the door, and slid down the wall to sit on the floor in the dark.

Jesper tilted his head back and let it rest on the wall. He took deep breaths, trying to settle his racing pulse. It was cool and quiet in the garage. As the minutes ticked by, Jesper found himself relaxing. 

The garage door rattled. Someone was pounding on it. Jesper heard radio static before it cut out and a voice said “All units be advised, potential sighting of suspect…”

Jesper didn’t stick around to hear more. A Stadwatch officer was outside the garage. Jesper looked around wildly for another exit. There was a door that looked like it led into the house. If the garage door had been open, the homeowners might be away. The garage door rattled again. Jesper decided to take his chances.

He ran through the door. Sure enough, he was inside the house now. He could find the back door, go back to running through backyards. Hopefully, he would avoid being seen by the officer outside. Jesper walked through the house quickly. He came out of the mudroom and into an open living room and kitchen area. 

Jesper stopped in his tracks. There was someone sitting at the kitchen island. The person’s back was turned, they hadn’t seen him. Maybe he could go back the way he came. The officer must have moved on by now. He turned to go back. He winced as his foot found a creaky floorboard. Jesper turned back to see if the person had heard.

They had. The person at the island was staring at him, spoon full of ice cream stopped in midair. Jesper groaned as he realized who it was. His luck was seriously the worst.

“Fahey? How did you get in here?” Big Bolliger asked.

“Big Bol, I need you to listen to me…” Jesper tried. 

“I know what you did! You shot the Sheriff, you killed him!” Big Bol yelled. He dropped his spoon into his bowl and got off the stool, moving to put the island between them. 

Jesper put his hands up to show Big Bol he was unarmed. “I didn’t, you need to believe me.”

“No, you need to get the hell out of my house!” Big Bol picked up a knife from the block on the counter.

“Drop the knife, please, I didn’t kill anyone,” Jesper said as calmly as he could.

Big Bol charged, and Jesper fled. He ran back the way he came, but he knew he wouldn’t make it to the garage before Big Bol caught up to him with the knife. Jesper dove through the first door he could find. He slammed the door shut and locked it to keep Big Bol out.

“Hey!” Big Bol bellowed from the other side of the door. Jesper heard the doorknob jiggle as Big Bol tried it. Then everything was quiet.

“Big Bol?” Jesper asked.

The sound of something scraping across the floor in the hallway followed by something hitting the door made Jesper panic. He unlocked the door handle and tried it, but the handle wouldn’t move. Big Bol must have put something under the handle to keep it from opening.

“I’ve got you now, Fahey, and you’re going to make me rich! That reward is as good as mine!”

“No, wait, please! You don’t understand! I didn’t kill the Sheriff, you have to listen! Big Bol!” Jesper screamed and pounded on the door. When he didn’t get an answer, Jesper turned to face the room he had trapped himself in. It was a small laundry room with no windows, just a washer and dryer. There was no way out, not this time.

Jesper slid down the door to the laundry room and buried his head in his knees. Of all the rooms he could have picked, of all the houses he passed by, this was how it ended. Caught in the laundry room in a Dime Lion’s house. The Stadwatch would never listen to him. He’d made himself look guilty by leading them on a wild goose chase all day. Not to mention they were out for blood since they were avenging one of their own. Jesper was going to be arrested, and Van Eck and Rollins would get away with murder and the gold. 

How had this happened? How had his life gotten so screwed up in just a few short days? Damn Kaz and his treasure hunt. Jesper wished he’d never allowed himself to get mixed up in this.

But that wasn’t altogether true. There was one thing that he’d gotten from this that he’d never give up. Wylan Van Eck, his merchling, who would never have been his if Kaz hadn’t sent him on the treasure hunt in the first place. Wylan, who was stuck with his asshole of a father. Wylan, who could still get them all out of this if they could save him first. 

Jesper pushed himself off the floor and looked around the laundry room with renewed energy. There had to be a way out. Wylan needed him, and Jesper would fight anything to save him. He whispered two words to himself, a call that he should have answered when he left the Dregs in Inej’s SUV.

“No funerals.”

*-*

Wylan paced the length of his bedroom for what might have been the millionth time. He should have worn a hole right through the floor with how much he was pacing. The Sheriff was dead, the blame had been put on Jesper and Kaz, and Wylan was stuck in his room with the truth. 

A knock on his window had him freezing mid-step. He looked to the window in fear, but it quickly morphed to surprise when he saw who was on the other side. Inej was waving him toward the window. Wylan let out a breath in relief and ran to the window. Inej was trying to push it open, and Wylan began pushing as well. It became apparent that the window had been painted shut years ago, and would not budge. 

Wylan and Inej slumped in defeat. Wylan shrugged and smiled sadly at Inej’s apologetic look.

“Your father said Jesper and Kaz killed the Sheriff,” Inej told him.

“I know. Are they all right? I’m so sorry…”

“It’s not your fault.” Inej interrupted. She put her hand on the window. “I’m sorry I can’t get you out.”

Wylan pressed his hand against the glass where Inej had hers. “Not your fault,” he echoed. He looked at their hands, so close yet so far apart, before looking into her eyes. “Get Jesper out of Ketterdam. He can’t risk his life for mine.”

A look of pain flashed across Inej’s face. “I understand,” she whispered, and he knew she did. He knew the Dregs were doing everything they could for Jesper and Kaz.

A sudden burst of flames erupted from the patio area. Wylan and Inej both jumped at the plume of smoke. Wylan craned his neck to try and get a view of what had caught fire. Inej shook her head and muttered something about Nina and Matthias that Wylan couldn’t make out. Moments later, footsteps pounded up the staircase, and Wylan heard his name being shouted by his father.

“Inej, go, he can’t see you!” Wylan shooed her away. Inej nodded and disappeared from view. Wylan raced to his bed and sat down. The footsteps were now coming from his father’s office down the hall toward his room. He heard a key in the lock before his door swung open.

“Wylan!” his father yelled, eyes blazing as wildly as the fire on the patio. 

“Yes, sir?” Wylan asked.

His father took in the sight of Wylan sitting on his bed and calmed down. “Damn Dregs,” he muttered. He turned and locked the door behind him, once again leaving Wylan a prisoner in his room. Wylan heard his father’s footsteps go back down the hall to the office and then back downstairs.

Wylan was torn between relief that his father had left him alone and frustration that he was still stuck in his room. He flopped back and let himself sink into his pillows. If only he could figure out a way to escape.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat on his bed before he heard the sounds of footsteps on the stairs again. These ones weren’t as loud as his father’s. Wylan held his breath as the footsteps came to a stop by his door. The doorknob jiggled for a moment, and then the footsteps went back down the hall. Wylan moved to the door and held his breath, listening for any sounds from the hallway. The footsteps came back down the hall a few minutes later. This time a key was inserted in the lock on his door. Wylan stepped back just as the door swung open.

“You don’t look sick,” Alys commented.

Wylan stared at his stepmother in shock. “What?”

“I brought you cookies because Jan said you were sick and I wanted to help you feel better. But look at you, you’re up and moving around. You must be feeling better already!” Alys smiled brightly.

Wylan looked down at the plate of cookies Alys was carrying. “Thank you, Alys, that was very thoughtful. You’re right, I am feeling much better,” he said slowly, surprised that Alys had thought of him at all.

Alys moved past him into the room and set the plate of cookies on the bed. Rufus had followed her and was pawing at the bed. He was too small to jump onto it, but that didn’t stop him from trying. Alys broke a cookie and fed a piece to Rufus. She turned and caught Wylan staring at her. “I didn’t give him a chocolate one,” she said, thinking his shocked look had to do with giving a cookie to her dog.

“Of course not,” Wylan acknowledged, incredulous. He looked from Alys to the open door of his bedroom and back. “Alys, where is my father?”

“Jan’s out back, putting the fire out with Pekka. Someone must have left the grill on. Although I’m not sure how the pillows from the patio furniture got on the grill,” Alys shrugged. Wylan had a feeling he knew what Inej had been muttering about Nina and Matthias earlier. “But don’t worry. He already had cookies, these are for you!”

“Right. Thank you.” Wylan stood by the door, unsure if Alys would let him leave. But he knew this would be his only chance, and he had to try. “Alys, I really am feeling much better, would it be ok if I went out for a little while? I could use some fresh air.”

“Well, Jan said you shouldn’t leave because you were sick. But if you’re feeling better, I don’t see why not,” Alys mused.

“So, I can go?”

“Sure!”

“Thank you, Alys. You have no idea how much this means to me,” Wylan started to leave the room, eager to get out of the house while his father and Mr. Rollins were distracted.

“Wylan, wait!”

Wylan froze in the doorway. He turned to face Alys slowly, afraid she would make him stay. “Yes?”

“You didn’t eat a cookie! Take one on your walk!” Alys extended the plate of cookies to him with a smile.

Wylan took a cookie from the plate. “Thanks again, Alys.”

“And Wylan? Be careful. I know you were friends with that nice boy who cleaned the boat,” Alys looked at him sadly.

“He didn’t kill anyone, I was there,” Wylan said quickly.

“Then what happened?”

Wylan took in the sight of his stepmother. She was nervously wringing her hands and looked like she might cry. Perhaps she knew more than she let on, but Wylan couldn’t find it in himself to tell her that she was married to a murderer. “Don’t tell my father I left. Lock the door again when you leave.”

Alys nodded and pulled Wylan into a hug. After a moment of shock, Wylan returned it. Alys really was sweet, and she didn’t deserve what was happening. Alys released him and Wylan wasted no more time in fleeing from the house. Jesper needed his help, and Wylan had a pretty good idea of where he might have gone.

*-*

Specht was patrolling the streets of the Barrel when a call came in over the radio. Someone in the Geldin District claimed to have Jesper Fahey trapped in the laundry room of his house. Specht flipped on his sirens and sped to the address. As acting Sheriff, he pulled rank and told the other officers not to enter the house until he arrived. 

It took a good five minutes for Specht to arrive at the scene. A crowd had gathered around the house, onlookers wanting a front row seat to the arrest. Specht parked the car and got out.

“Specht! Over here!” another officer waved him over to the stairs leading up to the front door.

“What have we got?” Specht asked.

“Kid says Fahey came in his house and tried to run.”

“I got him! I got him trapped in the laundry room. It’s right around the corner from the kitchen. I put a chair under the door handle so he can’t get out,” Big Bolliger explained.

“Was he armed?” Specht questioned.

“Not that I saw, sir.”

Specht nodded and went back to his vehicle. He picked up a megaphone and stood in front of the house. He spoke into the megaphone. “Jesper Fahey, this is Deputy Specht. We’re coming in.” Specht put the megaphone down and turned to the other officers on the scene. “Holst, Van Daal, with me. The rest of you, stay out here, keep the place surrounded. We’re not letting him slip away from us.”

Specht led Holst and Van Daal up the stairs and into the house. The crowd cheered as they made their way inside, encouraging the officers to show no mercy. Van Eck’s reward had really riled the citizens of Ketterdam. 

The officers were in the living room and kitchen combo area. Specht followed the directions Big Bol had given, and soon enough they found a door with a chair stuck under the knob. Specht nodded to the others. He moved the chair away from the door and called “Alright, Jesper, this is the end of the road. I’m coming in, so put your hands on your head and back away from the door.” Specht waited a beat before opening the door. 

The room was empty.

Specht cursed when he got a good look around the room. The dryer had been pulled away from the wall and the vent for the dryer had been busted open, leaving a hole that led to the backyard of the house.

“Specht, is he in there?” Holst shouted.

“He slipped out the vent in the laundry room!” Specht replied. They raced back out of the house to alert the rest of the Stadwatch. Specht began barking orders into his radio. “Suspect escaped. He couldn’t have gone far, start checking the area.”

The crowd outside the house was in an uproar. “We’ll find him for you!” someone yelled.

Specht picked up the megaphone again. “Let the Stadwatch do our job! Return to your homes!” he ordered. The boy who lived at the house, Big Bol, had been joined by two friends. They were leading the charge, egging others on and yelling for Fahey to be found and captured. Specht sighed and spoke into the megaphone again. “If you find him, do not engage! Alert a Stadwatch officer. The suspect is unarmed, please, let us bring him in.”

The crowd spread out and began searching the neighborhood. Big Bol and his friends pointed at something, and Specht thought he saw a glimpse of curly hair in the flashing lights from the Stadwatch vehicles. The three Dime Lions ran off together, and Specht yelled after them to stop, but they kept going. 

Van Eck had turned the city into a madhouse with this manhunt. Specht sent up a prayer that Jesper Fahey would be found by the right person, and that he still had a live suspect to question when this was all over.

*-*

Jesper skidded to a halt. He had run out of the Geldin District toward the outskirts of town and had finally reached his destination. He looked up at the abandoned church and sighed in relief. He thought back to a few days ago, when he had brought Wylan here. Had it really only been a few days? He had told Wylan that this was his place that he would come to if things got to be too much. Things had passed too much when Sheriff Rotty had been shot. It had only gotten worse from there.

Jesper went inside the church and looked around. It was dark when there was no sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows. Jesper gave his eyes a minute to adjust before finding the ladder that led up to the bell tower. He went up the ladder quickly. Once he made it into the tower he collapsed on the floor. The run from Big Bolliger’s house had been long and any energy he had was long gone. He was coming down from his adrenaline rush. Jesper knew he shouldn’t let himself relax, but it wasn’t long before he had passed out from exhaustion.

He wasn’t sure how long he was asleep before he heard a crash come from below. He heard someone climbing up the ladder, and he could see a flashlight beam shining through the cracks of the boards that made the trap door. Jesper sat up and looked around the tower room for anything he could use as a weapon. Nothing jumped out at him, so he stood and looked at the trapdoor, ready to attack. 

The trapdoor was pushed open, and the flashlight shined directly in his eyes, blinding him for a moment. The light was pointed away from his face. Jesper blinked a few times, and when he opened his eyes, he sobbed at the figure poking their head through the trapdoor.

“Wylan!” Jesper cried. He bent down and hauled Wylan off the ladder into a tight embrace. Wylan was crying, too, and the smaller boy clung to Jesper. “Wylan, I thought I would never see you again! Saints, how did you get here?”

“Alys let me go. I knew I would find you here. Jes, are you all right? I’m so sorry my father framed you for this,” Wylan rambled.

“I should never have left you on that runway. Did your father hurt you?” Jesper spoke at the same time.

Both boys fell silent and looked at each other, still hugging. They leaned in and kissed each other, relieved to be reunited. 

“Look what we have here.”

Jesper and Wylan sprang apart at the new voice. Jesper pulled Wylan behind him and looked at the trapdoor. Geels was climbing up into the bell tower. He had snuck up the ladder while Jesper and Wylan had been distracted.

“Get out of here, Geels,” Jesper growled.

“Why would I do that? There’s a big reward for your arrest, and you’ve been nothing but trouble. Getting rid of you and getting paid for it sounds pretty good to me,” Geels said. Jesper lunged for Geels. “Ah, ah, ah, not so fast. Big Bol and Eamon are just down the ladder. Even if you get past me, you won’t get out of here.”

“Geels, please, he didn’t kill anyone,” Wylan pleaded.

“Sure he didn’t. I can’t believe you’re sticking up for this Dreg. Although, you were very helpful. We wouldn’t have found Fahey without you leading the way.”

Wylan tensed behind Jesper. “Jesper, I’m sorry, I should’ve made sure I wasn’t followed…”

“I know, Wylan, it’s ok…” Jesper soothed.

Geels reached forward and grabbed hold of a rope connected to the old bell. He pulled on it and the bell began to ring. “Now everyone will know you’re here!” he shouted over the ringing.

“Geels, stop!” Jesper shoved Geels away from the rope. 

“Geels!” Eamon’s voice came from below. “You bringing them down here or what?”

“Coming!” Geels called down. He turned back to Jesper. “Pekka Rollins is going to be so excited when he hears we caught you. The Dime Lions win, we always will. You damn, dirty Dregs never stood a chance. And it’s only a matter of time before we find Brekker and the rest of your little gang.”

The sound of the bell ringing faded to reveal sirens approaching. The Stadwatch must have heard the bells. They were coming.

“Jes, we have to get you out of here!” Wylan panicked.

“Shit, did they brainwash you or something? Whose side are you on, merchling?” Geels asked.

“Jesper didn’t kill anyone, it was Pekka Rollins! Pekka shot the Sheriff!” Wylan yelled.

“No way. Jesper’s got guns, and he and Kaz have it out for your old man,” Geels scoffed.

“Geels, get down here man! The Stadwatch are outside. If we can’t make ‘em come out, we’re smoking ‘em out!” Big Bol shouted.

“What does he mean?” Jesper asked. 

The smell of smoke was answer enough. Jesper, Wylan, and Geels all went to the trapdoor and looked down into the sanctuary below. Big Bol and Eamon were whooping as they left the church. They had lit the prayer candles and placed them by some curtains that had been left hanging in the front windows. The curtains had caught fire, and the fire was quickly spreading.

Jesper, Wylan, and Geels all looked at each other in shock. For a moment, no one moved. Geels went for the trapdoor and Jesper blocked him. “Wylan, get down the ladder!” Jesper shouted as he held Geels back. Wylan scampered down the ladder. Jesper shoved Geels away and followed Wylan. “Out the back door, let’s go!” 

Jesper only made it halfway down the ladder before Geels started climbing down after him. The wooden ladder was old and it couldn’t support the weight of two bodies. Jesper heard it creaking and jumped the rest of the way down. Geels was still on it when the wood splintered and broke. He came crashing to the floor. 

Wylan grabbed Jesper’s hand. “We have to go!” 

Jesper looked at Geels. He wasn’t moving. “We can’t just leave him here, the fire’s still spreading!” 

Wylan stopped and considered him for a moment. “You’re still wearing what you wore on the runway.”

“Seriously, are you still picking on my clothes right now?”

“No, it’s not that! Take off your jacket and put it on Geels. The Stadwatch probably gave a description of what you were last seen in. We can push Geels out the front door, the Stadwatch will see your jacket and think it’s you, and we’ll go out the back. Just like getting on the barge, remember?”

“You’re such a genius!” Jesper took off his jacket and he and Wylan wrestled Geels into it. Once the jacket was on, Jesper picked up Geels and propped him up on the door of the church. Wylan took the drawstring out of the hood on Jesper’s jacket and tied one end to the door handle. He backed away from the door, holding onto the string. Once he was clear of the doorway, he pulled the string, which released the catch on the door. Geels’s weight pushed the door open and he tumbled out the door. 

Wylan and Jesper ran out the back door. The shouts of the Stadwatch officers and Big Bol and Eamon at the front of the church carried through the air.

“Hands on your head!”

“Don’t shoot! Hold your fire!”

“It’s not him!”

“We gotta get this fire out, there might be more people inside.”

“Fahey was inside! He was in there with Wylan Van Eck!”

Jesper and Wylan kept running. They held hands as they ran, neither wanting to lose the other. They ran until the shouts, the sirens, and the smell of smoke faded.


	10. The Ferolind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously can't believe this is the last chapter. Today is exactly four months since I started writing this, and I honestly don't know what I'm going to do with myself now that it's over.  
> Thank you for taking this journey with me! I really hope you've enjoyed it, because I have loved writing it. Special thanks to my sister for being the best beta and dealing with my obsessive tendencies, and to my best friend for reading each week and texting me about the new chapter for hours. And of course, thank you to anyone who has read, given kudos, or commented. You've made my return to writing so much fun, and I'm excited to see what plot bunnies I'll work on next!   
> As always, I own nothing.

Wylan knew he couldn’t keep running forever, and with one glance at Jesper he knew Jesper couldn’t either. Wylan quickly scanned the neighborhood they were running through, looking for any place they could hide. His eyes landed on a familiar red sign planted in the front yard of one of the houses. 

“Jes… stop…” Wylan panted. He tugged Jesper toward the house. “We can hide here.”

Jesper hesitated. “You sure?”

“It’s one of my father’s real estate listings,” Wylan assured. He led the way up to the house, turning on his flashlight as he went. Wylan crouched by the front door, looking at the lock box attached to the knob. Wylan twisted the four number tumblers and the box popped open. He handed the key to Jesper with a smile. “This is why they tell people not to use their birthday as their password.”

Jesper took the key and opened the door. As they crossed the threshold, they heard shouting from down the street. “He can’t have gotten far! Check the houses!”

Wylan shut the door quietly and locked it. He turned off his flashlight. Jesper pulled him down so they were sitting by the door. The sound of footsteps on the front porch had Wylan holding his breath. Someone pounded on the door and yelled “Stadwatch, open up!” Wylan squeezed his eyes shut and prayed to anyone who might be listening that the officer moved on. After a minute, the footsteps went back down the porch steps and Wylan and Jesper let out the breath they had been holding in twin sighs of relief.

Wylan opened his eyes when he felt Jesper take his hand. “Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered. Wylan nodded and let Jesper lead the way. 

The house was mostly empty, save for a few pieces of furniture that his father had used in staging it for potential buyers. Jesper checked the rooms as they went through the upper level, and eventually pulled Wylan into what appeared to be the master bedroom. Jesper went straight for the large bed and flopped down on it. Because they were still holding hands, Wylan was pulled down onto the bed as well. He blushed, and when Jesper cracked open an eye to look at him he immediately sat up. 

“Is this ok? I’m so sorry I dragged you into this, I didn’t even think…” Jesper panicked.

“It’s ok. You didn’t drag me into anything, I wanted to come,” Wylan interrupted. Jesper had scrambled to the other side of the bed, so Wylan reached over and took his hand again. “You should get some sleep, you must be exhausted.”

Jesper relaxed and scooted back towards Wylan. “Kaz is getting a boat. He wants me to meet the Dregs at Pier 22 and leave Ketterdam.”

“I figured there was a plan. Ok, so we need to make sure we’re at the pier.”

Jesper looked at Wylan. “We?”

“It’s going to be our only chance to get out of Ketterdam,” Wylan said.

“You want to come with me?” Jesper asked.

“Well, um, I’d like to. If that’s ok?” Wylan stammered.

Jesper pulled Wylan into his arms. “Yeah, I’d like that, too.” Jesper kissed the top of Wylan’s head and the two boys cuddled together in the bed. Shouts and a dog barking from outside had Jesper jolting upright, and Wylan pulled him back down and held him tightly. Jesper drew in a ragged breath, settled down, and whispered “We’re going to be ok, right?”

“Yes. We’ll meet the others at the pier tomorrow, and we’ll get on the boat and sail away. We can go anywhere, do anything. And we’ll do it together,” Wylan said. He looked up and met Jesper’s gaze before kissing his cheek. 

Jesper snuggled closer. “Wylan, I really hope we don’t die.”

Wylan listened as Jesper’s breathing began to even out. Jesper needed rest, and Wylan knew he wouldn’t be getting to sleep any time soon. Someone needed to keep watch. 

People were still shouting outside, and the sound of sirens either close by or in the distance was a constant. The whole city seemed to be looking for Jesper, and despite Wylan’s assurances to Jesper that they could get out of Ketterdam, Wylan was terrified for him. Running away was one way to avoid this problem, but it wasn’t a solution.

For as long as Wylan could remember, he had been hiding. Hiding his inability to read, hiding from his father, hiding from the world in general. But Jesper had found him anyway, and Wylan would not let his fear be the thing that caused him to lose Jesper. 

The Stadwatch needed to know the truth, and Wylan was the only one who could tell them. He was done hiding.

*-*

Kaz was standing by the window inside the High Wire, watching the sun come up over the water. The Dregs had taken shelter in Inej’s parents’ restaurant for the night. Inej, Nina, and Matthias were all sleeping on booth benches. Kaz himself had slept very little. He had thought a lot about what Inej had said the night before on the grounds of Bayurhill. She was right, of course. His reason to stay was entirely selfish, and it was unfair to put that on Inej. He chanced a glance at the sleeping girl, and he felt his breath catch at the sight of her, just like every other time. But she had asked him to leave, and he would honor her request.

A nearby siren caused him to look back out the window. Behind him, he heard a thud followed by a curse. Matthias was awake, and from the sound of it, he had hit his head on the table as he got up.

Matthias walked over to join Kaz at the window, rubbing his head. “Do you think they caught him?” he asked, voice rough from sleep.

“The sirens haven’t stopped all night. They wouldn’t still be patrolling if they had found him,” Kaz answered. 

“They’re probably looking for us, too, since we were in the car he was seen in. Not to mention they think Kaz is directly involved,” Inej’s soft voice came from behind Kaz. He frowned at the reminder that he and Jesper were both being framed. Not because it was the reason Inej wanted him to go. At least, mostly not that.

“Well, since we’re all outlaws we might as well get to work,” Kaz said. 

“We need to find Jesper before the Stadwatch do,” Matthias agreed. 

“He should be meeting us at the dock at three, so we need to get the boat and the necessary supplies. I’m going to get gas for the boat.” Kaz limped toward the door, leaning heavily on his cane. 

“Kaz,” Inej called. “Be careful.”

Kaz stopped and looked at Inej. The sunlight coming in through the window cast an almost halo-like glow around her head. She was as beautiful as always, but it reminded him that she could never be his. He turned to Matthias. “Wake Nina up and get moving. We need that boat.”

As he turned back to the door, he caught Matthias giving Inej a questioning look. Kaz felt more than heard Inej following him outside. Her footsteps never made noise. 

“Just spit it out, Inej,” he called without looking back.

“Kaz, I meant what I said last night. I’m sorry, but you know I’m right.”

“I’m going to get gas for the boat so I can leave. I’ll be gone before the end of the day, just like you want.”

“It’s not as simple as that. I only want you to be safe.”

Kaz made his way onto the street by the High Wire. There were a few cars and motorcycles parked along the curb. Kaz went to one of the motorcycles and pulled out the wires connected to the ignition. He hotwired the motorcycle and climbed on it. 

“Kaz, please…”

Kaz sped away from Inej before he could hear any more. She had asked him to go, he was working on it.

Above him, the sound of a helicopter roared through the air. Kaz looked up and saw a very official looking black helicopter. It appeared the Stadwatch had called in backup, and the cavalry had just arrived.

*-*

Specht shielded his eyes as a helicopter prepared to land in an open field. It had been over twelve hours since the manhunt had started, and the citizens were getting crazier by the second. Specht had put in a call, and was assured that he would receive an expert.

The helicopter touched down. Before the rotors had fully stopped, a man was climbing down out of the cabin. He crossed the field quickly, and Specht moved to meet him.

“Thanks for getting here so quick. I’m acting Sheriff Specht,” he introduced himself to the man.

“Special Agent Jellen Radmakker,” the newcomer replied. They shook hands. “Now, I’m not here to step on any toes, but it seems to me that we have a homicidal individual on the loose and the entire city is at risk until he’s apprehended.”

“Potentially homicidal, sir. We haven’t been able to question Jesper Fahey or Kaz Brekker yet, and I want to hear their side of the story,” Specht said.

“Of course. I hear you’ve shut the city down, which is great. Now we need to go block by block until we find him,” Radmakker ordered. 

“Copy that,” Specht agreed. He ushered Radmakker toward a purple Stadwatch vehicle. Deputy Holst was driving, since Specht’s usual car was being cleaned. Holst started to drive toward the makeshift command center, which had been set up by the main lighthouse in Ketterdam. It was more centrally located than the Stadwatch station, and the Special Agent had requested something near the water so they could coordinate with the marine blockade.

Specht filled Radmakker in as they drove, explaining their progress so far. The two discussed strategies for ending the manhunt as quickly and safely as possible. Radmakker assured him that meant for all parties involved, and Specht breathed a sigh of relief. Finally there was someone else who wanted to find Jesper Fahey alive. Hopefully, between the two of them, they were successful.

*-*

Jan and Pekka were in Jan’s office in Bayurhill. Jan was pacing the room while Pekka sat on the couch, watching him. 

“The Stadwatch are going to catch Jesper Fahey. They’re going to catch him alive, and then he’ll tell them what he knows, and everything we’ve been working toward will be lost,” Jan muttered to himself as he paced.

“It’ll be a Dreg’s word against ours, Jan. You said it yourself, they won’t believe him,” Pekka reminded.

“But once they hear Fahey’s story, then comes Kaz Brekker and the rest of their little gang. And if Sheriff Rotty came to arrest me for Jordie Brekker’s murder, then he must have known something. What if he told someone else? What about those two men we hired to get the compass and then killed? Not to mention, Wylan escaped. He could be out there talking to the Stadwatch right now! There’s too many loose threads!” Jan ranted.

“If Wylan had talked to the Stadwatch, don’t you think they would be here? If they knew about any of that, they would have arrested us by now.”

“We have to fix this, Pekka.”

“So let’s get out of here. Get the hell out of dodge before shit hits the fan. We sent the gold to the Southern Colonies, we go there, get the money, and disappear,” Pekka suggested. 

“If we run right now, we look guilty. Besides, if I leave, the company will go to Wylan by default and I will not have that illiterate moron destroy my legacy!”

“To hell with your legacy, Jan! Wait, your legacy, that’s it! You’re the concerned father! Your son is missing, he’s friends with the fugitive, and you’re worried about him.”

“What if they start asking questions?” Jan snapped.

“All you know is that your son is missing and you want him back. You can also keep tabs on the investigation that way. Head to the command center, and sell it. It’s just like any other story, any other deal,” Pekka said.

Jan nodded. He exited the office and went out to his car. He could still get them out of this. Jan Van Eck was not the most successful man in Ketterdam for nothing. It was just business.

*-*

Jesper woke up to a room brightened by daylight. It took him a moment to figure out where he was, but then he remembered the mad dash through the city ending in a mostly empty house that Wylan had helped him break into. Jesper was facing the wall and his arm was hanging off the bed. He reached behind himself to find Wylan, but his hand touched cold sheets. Jesper flipped over and was met with an empty bed. 

He started to panic. Wylan must be here somewhere, he wouldn’t have left. He said they would be together. But maybe it had been too much for his merchling. Jesper couldn’t blame Wylan if he wanted to get out while he still could. Or maybe he was still here, just in another room. 

Jesper moved to get out of the bed and something slid across the sheets. He looked down and saw that it was a phone. He reached over and tapped the screen. There was no passcode set, so it unlocked when he tried. It opened up to the notes app, where a message had been left.

_Jes – Only the truth can set us free. I have to try. Stay here and stay safe, I’ll be back soon. Love, W_

Love. Wylan had signed the note with love. He said he would be back soon. He still wanted to come with him, leave Ketterdam with him. Jesper couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. Wylan loved him.

But where had he gone? Jesper read the note again. Wylan said the truth could set them free, and he had to try. Was he going to talk to the Stadwatch? He went alone?

Jesper got out of bed and crossed the room to the window. The bedroom window faced out onto the water. The house was right on the coast, and Jesper could see surfboards and patio furniture outside. He ducked down when he saw a purple boat come into view. The Stadwatch were patrolling the water as well as on land. 

Jesper looked back to Wylan’s message on the phone screen. His eyes flicked up to the time at the top of the screen. It was just after ten o’clock, they had plenty of time before they had to meet the others at Pier 22. Wylan would be back soon. They could do this. He just had to wait.

Shit, Jesper was terrible at waiting. Wylan better get back quick.

*-*

Wylan was walking through the streets of Ketterdam, heading for the Stadwatch station, when he saw a group of Stadwatch vehicles turn down a road in front of him. Wylan stilled, watching the cars go by. He turned down the street they had gone down, and wondered where they were headed. There was a sea of purple streaming toward the lighthouse, where large white tents had been set up. Wylan walked closer to the setup, and saw what appeared to be a temporary command center. There were people monitoring radios, poring over maps, and listening to two men give orders. Wylan went closer still, listening to what was going on.

“We have a blanket warrant for all residences assumed empty. We have checkpoints on bridges to limit mobility. We have eyes on the water. There is a chance of a storm coming in, but for now our nautical units are to remain in position. Suspect was last seen at an abandoned church in the Southwest quadrant of the island. We’re going to start there and fan out, block by block, until we find him,” a man at the front of the group instructed. 

“Sir?”

Wylan turned to find an officer standing in front of him. The officer was looking down at him. “Sir, only authorized personnel are allowed past the blockade there. I’ll have to ask you to move back.”

“Is this all for Jesper Fahey?” Wylan asked, gesturing around.

“Official orders are for locals to shelter in place and report any sightings to the Stadwatch. You should probably head home,” the officer said.

“No, I need to talk to someone in charge. Jesper’s not armed, and he’s not dangerous. Please, I need…”

“We can take a statement…”

“No! You don’t understand, you’re going after the wrong guy!” Wylan yelled.

“Sir, I need to ask you to calm down.”

“I just want to talk to someone, please, who is in charge here?”

“Agent Radmakker and Sheriff Specht are quite busy. Like I said, someone can take your statement…”

Wylan caught sight of the man who had been giving the update to the other officers. He tried to push past the officer that had stopped him, but was blocked from entering the tent. “Sir! Sir, my name is Wylan Van Eck. I was on the runway with Sheriff Rotty. I know what happened, please, I need to talk to you!”

The officer in front of Wylan held him back. “I’m sorry, Agent Radmakker, this young man is refusing to speak to anyone else.”

“It’s all right, I can handle this,” Agent Radmakker assured. He came out and stood next to Wylan. “You said your name was Wylan, right? How can I help you?”

“Thank you, I just need a moment of your time. I was on the runway when Sheriff Rotty was shot…” Wylan began.

“There you are!”

Wylan stopped upon hearing the familiar voice. He couldn’t be here, not now.

Jan Van Eck walked briskly through the crowd toward Wylan and Agent Radmakker. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you, I was so worried. Thank Ghezen you’re all right. Agent…?”

“Radmakker,” Radmakker answered, holding out a hand for a shake.

“Agent Radmakker, I’m Jan Van Eck. Thank you so much for finding my son. I was just coming down here to report him missing. Wylan, come now, let’s get you home.” Jan placed a hand on Wylan’s shoulder and gave him a meaningful look.

“No, stay away from me!” Wylan shouted. He shook his father’s hand off his shoulder and tried to get away. 

Jan seized him around the waist and started moving him through the crowd. “I’m so sorry, Agent Radmakker. It’s been a rough time for my family. Let me take my son home and get him out of your hair.”

Wylan struggled against his father’s hold and called back to Agent Radmakker. “Please, Jesper Fahey didn’t shoot Sheriff Rotty!”

Jan froze. He turned back to Agent Radmakker slowly. The agent was watching the scene unfold with concern. “That’s not true. Jesper Fahey did shoot the Sheriff. I gave a sworn deposition to the Stadwatch. My son wasn’t even there, he has no idea what he’s talking about.”

“That’s a lie! Everything he says is a lie!” Wylan cried.

“Fine!” Jan screamed, eyes blazing as he looked down at his son. “Who did it then, Wylan? Who killed Sheriff Rotty?”

Wylan looked at his father. This was it, if he told the Stadwatch what he knew, his father would kill him. There would be no coming back from this. But he was already dead to his father. Wylan steeled himself and turned to Agent Radmakker. 

“Pekka Rollins shot Sheriff Rotty.”

*-*

A hush fell around the tent. Officers who had been watching Wylan struggle against his father in confusion now looked on in shock. Agent Radmakker considered Wylan for a moment, as if he could tell if Wylan was telling the truth just by looking at him. 

Jan Van Eck was stunned. He stepped back from Wylan with a muttered “Ghezen and all His works.” His son was ruining everything.

And it seemed he wasn’t finished. Before Jan could regain his composure and figure out how to fix the damage Wylan had done, Wylan was stepping around him to continue talking with the agent. “Mr. Rollins is my father’s business partner. He shot Sheriff Rotty on the runway. I was there, I saw the whole thing.”

“Mr. Rollins was fixing the damage done to my boat by Jesper Fahey’s associate Kaz Brekker. You can ask any of my staff,” Jan interrupted. 

“No, he wasn’t!” Wylan said.

Jan pushed Wylan away from the officers. “Wylan, stop this right now, or so help me I’ll…”

“You’ll what? Kill me?” Wylan asked wildly. “If you didn’t want me to tell the truth, you should have let Mr. Rollins shoot me on the runway, too, like he wanted to.”

Jan heard a few gasps from the crowd of officers. He needed to shut this down, and fast. He turned to the agent in charge. “Agent Radmakker, may I speak with you in private?”

Radmakker looked between father and son before nodding. “Of course. Deputy, stay with this young man while I talk with his father.” He beckoned Jan to follow him away from the crowd. 

“No, please, you can’t trust him!” Wylan screamed after them and tried to follow, but was held back by the officer Radmakker had assigned to watch him.

Jan and Radmakker walked toward the shoreline. Radmakker turned to face Jan, crossed his arms, and nodded for him to speak. 

“Thank you for your time, agent. As you can see, this has been hard on all of us. Sheriff Rotty died protecting me from your suspect. Jesper Fahey used to clean my boat, and I just found out that my son is in a relationship with him. My son is falling apart, he can’t comprehend Mr. Fahey’s actions, and he suffered a mental breakdown. Wylan doesn’t know what he’s talking about, he’s just trying to…” Jan trailed off, unsure whether Radmakker was believing his excuses.

“Protect him?” Radmakker supplied.

“Yes, protecting him. Mr. Fahey has destroyed my son, and Wylan can’t see him for the bad guy he really is. Jesper Fahey stole gear from my boat, and he was recently involved in a shooting incident at a party at the Exchange. His friend Kaz Brekker assaulted me a few days ago, which is why Sheriff Rotty was with me on the runway. Brekker and Fahey showed up, and they killed the Sheriff. Wylan heard about it later, and it broke him. So, what I’m asking here, is that you let me take my son home so I can get him the help he needs,” Jan said. 

Radmakker paused, and Jan held his breath. After a moment, Radmakker nodded. “Yes, of course.”

Jan let out the breath he had been holding. “Thank you, Agent Radmakker.” He started to walk back toward the tent to collect Wylan.

“I just want to talk to him first,” Radmakker called after him.

Jan stopped walking. “I don’t see why that’s necessary,” he responded over his shoulder.

“You say he knows the suspect well. Maybe he knows something that will help us catch him.” Radmakker made his way past Jan and into the tent. 

Jan closed his eyes. Wylan would have his chance to tell the agent his side of the story. If Radmakker believed him, it would be game over.

“Agent Radmakker!” An officer called from around the front of the tent. 

Jan followed the voices to find a crowd of officers searching the area around the tent. There was no sign of Wylan among them.

“I’m sorry, sir, the boy said he didn’t feel good so I let him sit down. I only turned my back for a second, I swear,” the deputy Radmakker had left in charge of Wylan apologized.

Jan fought the urge to smile. It seemed his son wouldn’t be telling any more of his story to the Stadwatch after all. Jan put on a concerned look and approached the officers. “Where is my son?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find him,” Radmakker assured.

“See that you do,” Jan said. He walked to a chair and took a seat. When the Stadwatch found Wylan, Jan would be waiting to make sure he didn’t say anything else. 

*-*

Sirens continued to wail throughout Ketterdam. The Stadwatch were telling residents to head back to their homes and wait until further notice. 

“That’s bullshit, man, why do we have to go home?” Big Bolliger complained as he walked with Geels and Eamon through the Geldin District. After their near success of capturing Jesper at the old church the night before, they had stayed out looking for the fugitive.

“They said it’s because of the big storm coming in, they want people to be safe,” Eamon said.

“How is anyone supposed to be safe with Fahey still on the loose?” Geels grumbled.

“Exactly! He came into my house, and he used Geels to escape. We can’t stop looking now!” Big Bol exclaimed.

“Who said anything about stopping? We’re just going to get my truck so we can cover more ground faster,” Eamon explained. “The reward is still on the table for whoever finds Fahey, and we can finally stick it to those Dregs.”

“Hell yeah!” Big Bol and Geels cheered. The Dime Lions could still come out victorious, and the prize of taking out the Dregs was the best incentive to ensure their success.

*-*

Jesper paced the length of the upstairs hallway for what must have been the millionth time. He had figured out the best way to avoid windows while he waited for Wylan to come back. The longer he waited, the more worried he became. Wylan had said he would be back soon, but that was hours ago now. It was almost noon, and there was still no sign of his merchling.

The sound of a door opening downstairs broke the pattern of his footsteps. Jesper stilled, listening for any more sounds. The door downstairs closed. Jesper crept to the top of the stairs and looked down. 

“Wylan,” he breathed.

His merchling stood at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes were red rimmed, as though he had been crying, and he looked defeated. Jesper took the stairs two at a time and pulled Wylan into a hug as soon as he could. The smaller boy collapsed into his arms, and Jesper held him tightly.

“I’m sorry,” Wylan sobbed.

“Where have you been? You had me worried sick! When I woke up alone, I thought you changed your mind,” Jesper said, the energy that had been building while he waited finally finding an outlet.

“I went to the Stadwatch. I tried to tell them the truth, but my father showed up…”

Jesper held Wylan at arm’s length and looked him over. “Did he hurt you? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, but the Stadwatch wouldn’t listen to me. I’m sorry Jes, I thought I could fix everything, but I can’t win against my father,” Wylan said.

“Hey, it’s not your fault. Thank you for trying,” Jesper soothed. He pulled Wylan back into a hug, relieved to have his merchling back.

A siren wailed loudly outside, and Jesper and Wylan whirled to face the front door. Out of the small window toward the top of the door, Jesper could see a Stadwatch vehicle stopped in front of the house they were hiding in. A deputy got out of the car and looked up and down the street. 

“There’s a Stadwatch officer outside,” Jesper whispered.

Wylan pulled away from Jesper, eyes wide. “We have to get out of here! They’ve got a warrant to search any vacant building, I heard the agent in charge say so.”

Jesper grabbed Wylan’s hand and pulled him out the back door of the house. Wylan tried to head for the next yard, but Jesper shook his head. He pointed to the surfboards that had been left in the yard. Wylan gave him a quizzical look, and Jesper explained “We can use them as paddleboards.”

“There’s Stadwatch boats patrolling the water,” Wylan argued.

“There was a boat a little after ten when I woke up, and another came by about twenty minutes ago. We should be clear for a while,” Jesper said. He handed Wylan a surfboard and took one for himself before heading toward the water. Once they were in water that reached Wylan’s waist, Jesper helped him climb onto the board. He got on his own board and started paddling, checking behind him to make sure Wylan was keeping up. Jesper directed them toward the marsh, they could cut through it and get to Pier 22 in enough time to meet the others. Jesper said a quick prayer to the Saints for a clear path.

Jesper and Wylan paddled further away from their safehouse. They were relieved to not hear shouts from the shoreline telling them to stop. Jesper dared to let himself hope that they could still escape Ketterdam with their lives.

*-*

Kaz stopped the motorcycle down the block from Colm Fahey’s store and dock. His eyes searched the street for any sign of the Stadwatch. There were none that Kaz could see, so he began to move towards the store. It had been over twenty-four hours since the start of the manhunt, the Stadwatch would have moved on from Jesper’s known potential hideouts. They were most likely going door to door at this point.

It was a risk, going to Colm’s dock, but he had a private fuel pump and gas cans for his business. The Dregs had all spent plenty of time helping Colm at the store, so Kaz knew how to get in, get the fuel, and get out. With any luck, he could get this done without being seen and he would be on his way to help the others hitch up _The Ferolind_ and get it to Pier 22.

Kaz crept around the outside of the store to the fuel pump. He picked up two large gas cans on the way, shifting his hold on his cane. He limped over to the pump and started filling the cans. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and Kaz looked up to see dark clouds rolling across the sky. He hoped the storm blew over, bad weather was the last thing they needed. Kaz filled the first can without incident, and had started on the second one when he heard footsteps behind him.

“You shouldn’t be here, Kaz,” a voice called.

Kaz closed his eyes for a second to compose himself before he turned. Colm Fahey stood by the back door of the store. He was looking at Kaz with worry. Kaz almost wished the man would have been angry, it would have been easier to deal with. “Mr. Fahey,” he acknowledged. 

“The Stadwatch have been by several times, to the house and the store. I had to give a statement at the station,” Colm said.

“Jesper didn’t kill anybody,” Kaz told him.

Colm looked at Kaz sharply. “I raised him better than that, I know he didn’t do this. What did you get him involved in? Last I heard, you two were fighting because you didn’t like his boyfriend, and now you’re both wanted for murder!”

“That’s a gross oversimplification, and I do not have the time to explain. Just know that we are doing everything we can to help Jesper.”

Colm’s gaze went from Kaz to the gas cans and back, and realization dawned on his face. “He’s leaving, isn’t he?”

“I think it’s best if you don’t know the answer to that. Plausible deniability,” Kaz replied.

“He’s my son,” Colm whispered. He dragged his hands down his face, and then looked skyward. “His mother would never forgive me if anything happened to him. Take the gas, do what you need to do.” He waved Kaz off and made to go back into the store.

The fuel pump had long since stopped filling the second can. Kaz picked up the cans and started walking back toward the street. The motorcycle wouldn’t be helpful in transporting the cans, he’d have to hotwire a car.

“Kaz?”

Kaz turned to face Mr. Fahey and quirked an eyebrow. 

Colm had his hat in his hands, his fingers nervously picking at the brim. He looked Kaz in the eye, concern etched across his features. “Tell him I love him.”

Kaz nodded once and continued around the side of the building. He needed to make sure the others were on schedule. It was almost time to leave.

*-*

Inej, Nina, and Matthias were raiding the kitchen of The High Wire for any food Kaz and Jesper could take on _The Ferolind_. Inej and Matthias were getting Nina up to speed on what she had missed while sleeping. 

“And then he just took off on a stolen motorcycle? I don’t know, sounds like normal Kaz behavior to me,” Nina shrugged.

“He seemed off, though,” Matthias said. He turned to Inej. “Did he say anything to you outside?”

At Inej’s hesitation, Nina whirled on her with wide eyes. “Did he finally get his head out of his ass and tell you about his feelings?”

Inej gaped at her for a moment before snapping her mouth shut. “He was probably off because Van Eck framed him for murder,” she reminded them. “Do you think this is enough food for them?”

“Oh, Saints, he did!” Nina gasped, seeing through Inej’s ploy to distract them.

“Nina, it’s not our business,” Matthias muttered. 

“The hell it isn’t!” Nina cried indignantly.

“Inej, I think this is fine, it should be enough for at least two weeks,” Matthias said. Inej smiled at him gratefully. The two of them picked up boxes of food and went to go load up Inej’s SUV.

“Nobody tells me anything about their relationships!” Nina groaned. She followed Matthias and Inej outside.

Once all of the boxes were loaded into the car, Inej shut the trunk. Matthias got into the back and Nina took the passenger seat. As Inej walked around the car, her parents pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot. At the sight of their daughter, they leapt out of their car and ran to Inej.

“Inej, where have you been?” Mrs. Ghafa demanded. 

“I’m fine, I promise,” Inej reassured.

“We were out all night looking for you! Your friend is wanted for murder and we didn’t know where you were. We’ve been frantic with worry!” Mr. Ghafa said.

“I’m sorry…”

“Come inside, Inej,” Mr. Ghafa cut her off.

“I can’t, I have to go,” Inej told them.

“Go where? It’s not safe, Inej, please,” Mrs. Ghafa pleaded.

“Kaz needs me, I have to help him,” Inej answered gently. She opened her car door and slipped inside. Her parents voices followed her, yelling for her to stay as she started the car and drove away. Inej blinked away tears as she steered the car out of the parking lot. “Where is this boat?”

Nina put a hand on Inej’s shoulder for a moment. “It’s ok,” she whispered. Inej nodded and wiped her eyes. Louder, Nina said “We need to stop by my house, the key to the storage garage _The Ferolind_ is kept in is there. I’ll direct you from there.”

Inej nodded again and kept driving. The car fell into a tense silence. Inej’s parents had reminded them just how dangerous this whole thing was. The sooner they got Kaz and Jesper out of Ketterdam, the better.

*-*

Jesper and Wylan were laying on their stolen surfboards, paddling through the marsh. Jesper looked back to see Wylan trailing behind. His merchling probably hadn’t slept at all and had walked all over the island to talk to the Stadwatch, so Jesper knew he must be exhausted. Jesper stopped moving and let Wylan catch up.

“You doing ok?” Jesper asked as Wylan pulled up beside him.

“Yeah… fine…” Wylan panted. “Do you really think they can steal the boat?”

“Well, it’s Kaz’s plan, so yeah. And he’s got Inej, she can sneak into anything,” Jesper reassured him. Jesper trusted the Dregs, they would get the job done. It was once they were on the boat that was worrying him. They could sail anywhere they wanted, but then they would be on their own. They would have nowhere to live, and no money for anything they needed. Jesper had been thinking about it all day, and he had come up with a plan. It was not a Kaz Brekker scheme, and therefore could very well end in disaster. Then again, this whole treasure hunt had been a Kaz Brekker scheme, and it had definitely ended in disaster, so it wasn’t like this could be any worse. 

Sirens wailed from the shoreline, causing both boys to tense. Jesper scanned the beach, but couldn’t see any flashing lights. “Guess we’d better keep moving,” he said. He started paddling again, this time in a new direction.

“Jes, where are you going? I thought Pier 22 was this way?” Wylan called.

Jesper turned back to look at Wylan. This was definitely the hardest part of his plan. “I have to go to the Slat,” he told him.

Wylan’s eyes widened and he nearly fell off his surfboard. “We can’t go back there, the Stadwatch will be crawling all over the place!”

“We’re not going, just me,” Jesper explained. “The gold that we got from the Darkling house is still there. We’re going to need money to start our new life.”

“We can’t start a new life if you get caught,” Wylan argued.

“So I won’t get caught,” Jesper shrugged.

“If you go there, then you will get caught, and then all of this will have been for nothing.”

“I have to try, Wylan. If we don’t have money, then we can’t go anywhere anyway. Go to Pier 22, I’ll meet you and the others there in an hour. I know I can do this, you just have to trust me.”

“I trust you,” Wylan said. He paused for a moment, then whispered “Promise me you’ll be careful.”

“I promise. I’ll see you at the dock. Just keep going through the marsh, around that bend in the shoreline, and you’ll find it. I’ll be there as soon as I can, and then we’ll blow this popsicle stand.” Jesper reached out a hand toward Wylan’s and their fingers brushed before a wave pushed them apart. Jesper resituated himself on the surfboard and started paddling in the direction of the Slat. He was moving faster now, because he had a promise to keep. He had an hour to get the gold and get to the dock without getting caught. 

Jesper hadn’t broken a promise to his merchling yet, and he really did not want to start now.

*-*

Specht and Holst were at the Slat, looking for any clues that could tell them where the Dregs were hiding. Specht was searching a room that looked like an office while Holst checked the living room. The office was clean, with two desks. The first desk held nothing promising, but Specht had found an envelope labeled “For Kaz” in one of the drawers in the second desk. He had gone through the papers, stopping on a map with some coordinates marked in black sharpie. The other papers were about the _Jurda Parem_ , and Specht couldn’t help but wonder why these coordinates were so special.

“Hey, Holst, did you know Kaz’s brother?” Specht called.

“The one who went missing? Not really, but I heard he was a good kid, even if he was obsessed with that old shipwreck,” Holst answered.

Specht continued looking through the office for a few minutes, before he was summoned to take a look at something Holst had found. Specht walked out into the living room, still holding the map from the envelope, to see Holst standing by the pullout sofa. Holst turned and tossed something onto the kitchen table. 

“Ghezen, is that what I think it is?” Specht said. He picked up a chunk of what appeared to be gold. He was surprised by the weight, and couldn’t help but feel that this was real. Specht looked from the gold to the map and back.

“What do you make of that?” Holst questioned.

“I think Kaz might have finished what his brother started,” Specht mused. He looked up at Holst and put the gold back on the table. “Tag this as evidence. In fact, we should tag everything. I think there’s something bigger going on here, and until we have the whole story, I’m not leaving anything to chance.”

*-*

Inej pulled to a stop in front of Nina’s house. She turned to Nina sitting in the passenger seat. “Should we come in with you? Will you need help finding the key?”

Nina shook her head. “I know where it is. I’ll be back in a minute,” she said as she got out of the car. She walked up to her house and went in through the front door.

Matthias leaned between the front seats, watching anxiously. Inej glanced at him for a moment before looking back toward the house. “She’s fine Matthias, she’ll be right back,” Inej told him gently.

“I know. With everything going on, though…” he trailed off awkwardly. “I’m sorry, Inej.”

“For what?”

“That Kaz has to leave. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost Nina,” Matthias whispered.

“We’re not losing Kaz, or Jesper. We’re protecting them until it’s safe for them to come back,” Inej snapped. 

“Of course. We’ll do everything we can so they can come back as quickly as possible,” Matthias agreed. Inej softened at that, and gave Matthias a small smile.

The car door opened and Nina climbed back in. She showed them a key ring with a few keys and a large fake emerald keychain. “ _The Ferolind_ awaits! We’d better get moving if we want to have the boat at the dock by three.”

“If you hadn’t slept so long, we could’ve already gotten the boat,” Matthias pointed out.

“You know better than to try and wake me up before I get my full beauty sleep,” Nina glared. 

“You don’t need it, you’re always beautiful,” Matthias said.

Nina smiled at that, and reached into the backseat for her boyfriend’s hand. “You’re better than waffles, Matthias Helvar.”

“And this is sweeter than the syrup you drown your waffles in, but can we focus please? Nina, where’s the boat?” Inej asked.

Nina began directing Inej toward the storage garage for _The Ferolind_. The three teenagers inside the car kept glancing at the clock, watching the minutes tick by. They knew they’d be cutting it close. Inej pressed the gas pedal, speeding just a little.

Sirens and flashing lights sped toward them from the opposite direction. Inej slowed down again, hoping the Stadwatch didn’t recognize her SUV. The Stadwatch vehicles went right past them, disappearing around the corner.

“They’re still looking, that’s a good sign,” Matthias sighed in relief.

“Kaz and Jes better make it to the dock. If they get arrested after we steal a boat for them, I’ll kill them myself,” Nina grumbled. 

“I’ll help,” Inej offered.

Matthias looked between the girls in the front seats. “I think we’ve had enough death threats to last a lifetime.”

The car’s occupants fell silent, except for Nina telling Inej where to go. Inej followed Nina’s directions carefully, all three of them focused on the task at hand.

None of them noticed a gray truck following their car.

*-*

Wylan was lost.

Jesper’s directions had sounded easy enough. Wylan had paddled through the marsh and had gone around the bend in the shoreline, but he had not found a dock. He figured he had gone around the wrong bend in the shoreline, so he had paddled back toward the open water and kept going, looking for another bend. However, the longer he went without finding one, the more anxious he became. Voices of doubt that sounded suspiciously like his father told him that Jesper wanted to leave him behind. Wylan shook his head to clear those thoughts. Jesper had promised to meet him at Pier 22. All Wylan had to do was find it.

A small boat sailing back to shore caught his eye. He couldn’t see who was on board, but maybe it was the other Dregs bringing the boat to Pier 22. Wylan moved closer to get a better look. There was only one person on board, a young man that was neither Kaz nor Matthias. Wylan ducked his head and started to paddle away.

“Wylan? Wylan Van Eck?” the man on the boat called.

Wylan jerked back at the sound of his name. He took another look at the man and his heart sank. The man on the boat was Karl Dryden, a business associate of his father. Wylan had seen Mr. Dryden around his house on several occasions, so there was no way he could pretend to be someone else. He sighed and waved, answering “Hello, Mr. Dryden.”

“What are you doing out here?” Mr. Dryden questioned.

“I went out for a ride… on my paddleboard…” Wylan stuttered.

“You shouldn’t be out here, haven’t you heard about the storm that’s coming? Here, get on my boat, I’ll take you back to land. I’m sure your father must be worried about you.”

“No! Please, you can’t tell my father you saw me. I have to meet someone…”

“Come now, it’s not safe out here. I’ll take you back to Fifth Harbor,” Mr. Dryden reached over the side of the boat and pulled Wylan aboard. Wylan tried to fight him off, but his arms felt like jelly from paddling on the surfboard for so long. Mr. Dryden left Wylan laying on the deck of the boat and went back to driving. Wylan stared up at the sky before his eyes slipped shut, passing out from exhaustion.

*-*

“Here we go!”

Nina unlocked the door to the storage shed and Matthias pushed it open. They stepped into the garage and took in the sight of the sleek boat. Nina wasn’t sure how long it had been since the boat had been on the water, but her cousin had been taking care of it while the privateer had been away, so it still looked nice.

“So this is _The Ferolind_?” Matthias asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yep! It’s supposed to be pretty fast, if my cousin’s stories are anything to go by,” Nina said.

“I just hope it runs,” Inej muttered.

The three of them began preparing to hitch the boat to the back of Inej’s car when they heard an engine outside. They looked toward the garage door. “I thought you said Kaz stole a motorcycle? That sounds like a truck,” Nina commented.

“The demjin probably stole a car to bring the gas here,” Matthias reasoned.

Inej rounded the boat to wave Kaz inside but stopped in her tracks. There were two figures in the doorway, and neither were Kaz.

“Hey Dregs, how are you guys doing?” Eamon sneered. Geels stood beside him, laughing.

Nina and Matthias came around the boat at that. Nina pulled Inej back and the three of them moved toward the back door of the garage. That door was blocked by Big Bolliger. 

“What do you want? Can’t you assholes leave us alone for five minutes?” Nina glared. 

“We’ve been searching the whole island for your boy, and as luck would have it, we saw you driving by. Figured you’d lead us to him,” Eamon drawled as the Dime Lions stalked closer. “So, where is Jesper?”

“How should we know?” Inej snapped.

Eamon chuckled dangerously. “Looks like we’re doing this the hard way, then.” He nodded at Big Bol, who punched Matthias in the gut. Matthias doubled over, his breath knocked out of him. Nina moved to attack Big Bol, but was pulled back by Eamon. Geels advanced on Inej. 

Inej punched Geels in the face. He held his cheek and spit out a mouthful of blood. He looked at Inej and seized her by the throat. Inej clawed at his hand, trying to shake him off, but he kept squeezing. 

“Where’s Fahey?” Geels asked lowly. He loosened his grip on Inej’s neck.

“I don’t know,” Inej choked out.

Just as Inej was sure she was going to pass out, something struck Geels with a heavy thud. Geels cried out in pain and dropped Inej. She fell to the floor, gasping. Geels let out another shriek, and Inej looked up to see what had happened.

Kaz stood over Geels, holding his cane like a bat. He swung at Geels again, cane connecting with Geels’s stomach. Inej watched as Kaz dropped his cane. He fisted his hands in Geels’s shirt and hauled him upright before punching him over and over. “Don’t. Ever. Touch. Her!” He growled, punching Geels with each word.

Inej saw Eamon let go of Nina so he could help Geels. Inej stuck her foot out and tripped Eamon. He fell to the floor. Before he could get up, Inej rolled on top of him and punched him. Eamon hit his head on the cement floor of the garage. Inej checked to make sure he was unconscious before staggering to her feet. She glanced over to Matthias and Nina. Between the two of them, they had taken care of Big Bol. 

Inej turned back to Kaz and Geels. Kaz was still hitting Geels, who was swaying on his feet. “Kaz!” She screamed. 

Nina and Matthias looked over as well. “Kaz, stop!” Nina yelled. 

“He’s had enough, Kaz,” Matthias said as he walked over to separate the two. 

Kaz shook him off and grabbed Geels by the throat. “How does it feel, Geels? How does it feel to have the life choked out of you?”

“Kaz, please, stop!” Inej demanded. She shoved past Matthias and in between Kaz and Geels, getting in Kaz’s eyeline. 

“He could’ve killed you, Inej!” Kaz ground out, hands still squeezing Geels’s throat.

“I’m fine. You need to let him go, Kaz,” Inej insisted. 

Kaz looked at Inej. She held his gaze, refusing to back down. Kaz loosened his hold on Geels, who dropped to the floor wheezing. 

“We need to go,” Inej said. She turned on her heel and ushered Nina and Matthias back over to the boat to finish hitching it to her SUV. 

Kaz looked down at Geels. “You’re lucky she was still alive to counsel mercy,” he spat. Kaz picked up his cane and followed the others to the car. Once the boat was secure and the gas cans were transferred from the other car, the Dregs piled into Inej’s SUV and headed for Pier 22. It was almost time to meet Jesper.

*-*

Jesper tiptoed through the yard of the Slat. The skies were starting to get darker, and it looked like Ketterdam was in for some rain. He looked back at _The Wraith_ longingly, wishing he could make his getaway on Inej’s boat. Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure where the keys were. 

Jesper stopped by a tree, watching the house. A purple Stadwatch vehicle was parked outside, but he couldn’t see any officers inside the car. He stayed by the tree and scanned the area.

“I think it was thirty million in Ravkan gold,” someone was saying. “There’s a whole exhibit at the Ketterdam Museum, interesting stuff.”

Jesper ducked behind the tree and peeked around it. Deputy Specht was coming out of the Slat, carrying a couple clear evidence bags. Deputy Holst followed him out, and they both went to the car. Jesper squinted at the bags. When Specht stepped into what was left of the sunlight, a flash of gold caught Jesper’s eye. They had found the gold. 

Specht stopped by the driver’s door of the car and reached inside the open window. When he pulled his hand back out, it was empty. The evidence bags were inside the car. Specht and Holst went back inside the Slat. 

Jesper took off as soon as they were gone from view. He ran to the car and climbed into the driver’s seat. He searched the passenger seat and sighed in relief when he found the gold inside one of the bags. Jesper kissed the gold and put it in the cup holder. He looked at the dashboard and smiled when he saw that the car had an automatic push start. Jesper pushed the button, but the car didn’t start. He pushed it again a few times before he dropped his head onto the steering wheel. “Shit,” he groaned. 

He lifted his head and looked around the car, eyes landing on the police radio and attached speaker. Jesper reached out and grabbed the microphone. He pressed the button and spoke into the mic, his voice coming through the speakers. “Specht? Can you come out? I think you know who it is, and I think we need to talk.”

Jesper put the mic down and watched the house. Specht peered around the doorframe before slowly coming outside. Jesper saw Specht’s hand move toward his gun, so he put his hands up.

“Jesper?” Specht called.

“Don’t shoot! I just want to talk, please!”

Specht moved his hand away from his weapon and continued moving closer to the car. “Ok, let’s talk.”

“Specht, I didn’t do this, you gotta believe me.”

“Ok. Jesper I need you to keep your hands where I can see them. I’m approaching the vehicle, you don’t run, I won’t chase. Got it?”

“Yes,” Jesper agreed. Specht just had to get a little closer.

Movement from the house caught Jesper’s eye. Holst had followed Specht outside, and he was getting ready to draw his gun.

“Hey, wait, I thought you were going to listen!” Jesper yelled.

“I am listening, I want to hear what happened,” Specht reassured.

“Tell him to take his hand off his gun!” Jesper countered.

“Holst, we’re just talking here, no need for weapons,” Specht commanded. Holst nodded and held his hands up to show they were empty. Specht took another step toward the car. “Ok, Jesper, let’s talk.”

“Ok, yeah. I want to tell you everything, but I need you to trust me when I say I didn’t do it,” Jesper said. As he was talking, Jesper slowly reached his hand toward the push start on the dash. 

“I need to see both hands, Jesper!” Specht ordered.

Jesper pushed the button and the engine roared to life. He put his hands on the steering wheel, slammed his foot on the gas pedal, and sped away from the Slat. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Holst pull out his gun. Specht picked up his radio and spoke into it. Jesper heard Specht’s voice come over the police scanner in the car.

“Command, this is Specht at the Brekker residence. We just had a confirmed sighting of Jesper Fahey. Suspect is currently headed north on Stave Road in a Stadwatch vehicle.”

Jesper grinned as he switched on the sirens and flashing lights in the stolen Stadwatch car. He had a very important place to be, and he could not be late.

*-*

The Dregs had gotten _The Ferolind_ into the water and had loaded it up with the supplies Jesper and Kaz would need for their voyage. The only thing missing was Jesper.

Nina paced up and down the dock. “Where the hell is he?”

Inej reached out to stop her from pacing, pulling her into a hug. “He’ll be here.”

“It’s Jesper, he’s never been on time in his life,” Matthias said. He and Kaz were putting the last of the food away in the hold.

Approaching sirens had all of the Dregs looking toward the road. A Stadwatch car screeched to a halt by the docks. 

“Saints, can nothing go right?” Nina moaned. 

“Untie the boat, go Kaz!” Inej hurried.

“Pretty sure I’m supposed to be on it before it leaves.”

Everyone turned back to the Stadwatch vehicle and saw Jesper getting out. He smiled at them as he walked toward the boat.

“No way,” Nina gaped. “Jesper, that’s three counts of grand theft auto!”

“Hey, you stole a boat, you can’t judge me,” Jesper pointed out.

“How did you get that car?” Matthias asked warily.

Jesper shrugged. “I’m wanted for murder, joyriding in an official Stadwatch vehicle is nothing.”

“You’re late. I told you three sharp,” Kaz called. “I almost left without you.”

“Wait, you’re coming, too?” Jesper asked.

“I told him to go,” Inej said quietly. At the look on Inej’s face, Jesper knew not to ask anything else.

“Well, this ought to make up for my tardiness!” Jesper said. He tossed the gold he had retrieved from the Slat to Kaz. Kaz caught it and placed it in the inside breast pocket of his suit coat.

“Time to go, Jesper,” Kaz ordered.

“Wait, where’s Wylan?” Jesper asked, looking around Pier 22.

“I’m sorry, Jes, we tried to get him out of Bayurhill…” Inej began.

“No, he escaped last night. We only separated an hour ago so I could get the gold. He was supposed to be here,” Jesper explained.

“We haven’t seen him,” Matthias said.

“We have to go, Jesper,” Kaz repeated.

“I’m not leaving without him!” Jesper shouted.

“We’re out of time! There’s GPS trackers in all of the Stadwatch vehicles, the Stadwatch will be on their way here. We’ve got _The Ferolind_ , we’ve got fuel, we’ve got food. We are not throwing away our chance to escape because your boyfriend couldn’t meet a deadline,” Kaz rasped.

“Kaz,” Inej warned.

Nina hugged Jesper tightly. “It’s ok, Jes, we’ll find him. We’ll keep him safe, and he can help us clear your names.”

“You need to leave while you still can. Kaz has a route planned out, we’ll send word when it’s safe for you to return,” Matthias assured. He clapped a hand on Jesper’s shoulder and nodded. Jesper pulled Matthias into his hug with Nina. The Fjerdan sighed, but didn’t pull away.

Inej climbed aboard _The Ferolind_ , joining Kaz on the deck. He wasn’t one for goodbyes, and she knew he was refusing to get off the boat to say them. But she would not let him avoid her before he left. “You’ll be back before you know it, Kaz. I promise we will set this right as soon as we can,” she whispered. She didn’t look at him, and he didn’t look at her. They stood side by side, staring out at the water. 

“You want me to return?” Kaz asked.

“I meant what I said Kaz. I will have you when it is safe for you to be with me,” Inej replied. She let her hand bump into Kaz’s, unsure if her touch would be welcome. 

“Then Ketterdam has not seen the last of me,” Kaz said. His hand brushed against hers before he took hold of it, entwining their fingers. It felt like a promise, and Inej wished she didn’t have to let go. With a final squeeze, he pulled away. “Jesper!”

Jesper clambered over the side of the boat. Before Inej could disembark, Jesper wrapped her up in a hug. “I’ll watch out for him, I promise,” Jesper whispered.

“And I’ll do the same for you with Wylan,” she answered. 

Inej extracted herself from Jesper’s hold and joined Nina and Matthias on the dock. Nina and Matthias had their arms around each other. Once Inej was in reach, Nina pulled her close. The three of them watched Kaz and Jesper make their final preparations. 

“Look after my Da for me, will you? And keep Wylan safe,” Jesper called.

“We will,” Nina promised.

“Stick to your route, you’ll hear from us soon,” Matthias said.

“No mourners,” Inej started.

“No funerals,” the others finished. 

Matthias moved to untie the boat, and Kaz started the engine. _The Ferolind_ roared to life. Inej, Nina and Matthias watched as Kaz steered the boat away. Jesper waved, and they returned the gesture until the boat was out of sight. 

The three remaining Dregs walked down the dock towards Inej’s SUV. Before they could get in, a small fleet of Stadwatch cars arrived, blocking off any exits. The Dregs stopped walking and put their hands up.

Specht was the first officer to step out of the cars. He marched toward the teens. “Where are they?” When he did not receive an answer, he let out a frustrated sigh. “This isn’t a game, I’m trying to help them. Where are Kaz and Jesper?”

Radmakker got out of one of the other vehicles. He pushed past the Dregs, stepping out onto the dock. He scanned the water for any signs of a boat, but saw nothing that pointed to which way one may have gone. He spoke into his radio, “All units be advised, suspects have just left Pier 22 in a boat. Need marine patrol to respond.”

“You three are coming with us, get in the car,” Specht ordered. He ushered Nina, Matthias, and Inej into the back of one of the Stadwatch vehicles. Specht directed the driver to take them back to the command center. The skies continued to darken with the oncoming storm, and Specht wanted to finish this manhunt before the rain started. 

*-*

Kaz piloted _The Ferolind_ around the south side of the island. They were coming up on Fifth Harbor, but luckily with the nasty-looking weather, the docks were all deserted. The only upside to a storm, not many people would be out to block their escape.

Jesper sulked behind Kaz. He couldn’t help but feel that by leaving without Wylan, he had failed his merchling. He knew the others had promised to protect Wylan, but what if Van Eck or Rollins found him first? 

“JESPER!”

A lone figure was waving frantically at the end of one of the docks of Fifth Harbor. Jesper saw red-gold curls and cried out “Wylan!” Jesper turned to Kaz. “Kaz, please, let him come with us. If we leave him here, his dad will kill him,” Jesper pleaded.

Kaz considered Jesper for a moment. Just as Jesper was about to fight him for control of the boat, Kaz slowed down and pulled to a stop in front of the dock Wylan was standing on. “Van Eck’s spilled enough blood,” Kaz said quietly. 

Jesper nodded gratefully before helping Wylan onto _The Ferolind_. “Wylan, how did you get here? I didn’t want to leave without you, but you weren’t at Pier 22 and I thought…”

Wylan stopped him midsentence with a kiss. Jesper happily returned it, wrapping his arms around Wylan. When they broke apart, Wylan whispered “Don’t ever leave me again.” Jesper moved forward to kiss Wylan again, but almost lost his balance as the boat started moving.

“What the hell, Kaz?” Jesper groused.

“If I had waited for you two to be done kissing, the Stadwatch would have caught up to us and all of this would have been for nothing,” Kaz said. “Now, put your life jackets on. It looks like we’re in for a bumpy ride.”

Although it was just past four in the afternoon, the storm had turned the skies dark as night. Wylan, Jesper, and Kaz all put on life jackets as they continued their journey. Kaz stayed behind the wheel while Jesper and Wylan huddled close together on a bench seat.

Wylan gasped and pointed to something on the shore. “Ghezen, I think the whole Stadwatch is out there.”

Jesper followed Wylan’s finger and saw lights flashing around a large white tent. “Kaz?”

“I’m going dark and letting the tide pull us out,” Kaz told them. He switched off the boat’s engines, and the three of them waited, praying to anyone who might be listening that they remained unnoticed in the dark.

*-*

Radmakker and Specht escorted Inej, Matthias, and Nina into the command center tent. Specht directed the teens to sit in some folding chairs by the wall of the tent. Radmakker went to the communications tent and asked for an update. There were no new sightings reported.

Radmakker walked back out of the tent to stand on the shore. He looked for any boats, but with the weather as dark as it was, he could not see very far across the water. He went back into the tent and walked to the shoreline with a pair of night vision binoculars. He held the binoculars to his eyes and looked out on the water. Radmakker could have sworn he saw something, but a sudden flash of lightning interfered with the binoculars. When he could see through them again, there was nothing there. 

“We need eyes on the other side of the island, they must not have come this way,” Radmakker spoke into his radio. 

“Copy that sir,” a voice answered, cutting through the static.

“All units be advised, we just got word from the power company. We will be back to full power in three… two…”

Radmakker watched as lights started flickering on all up and down the coast. The lighthouse they had set up the command center under regained power. A broad beam of light cut through the darkness and illuminated a small ship off the coast. Radmakker hurriedly traded his night vision binoculars for regular ones. He could just make out three people on the boat before it slid into darkness once more as the light from the lighthouse moved. 

Radmakker reached for his radio. “We have a bogey in the water just north of the command center. Marine units, respond.”

“Copy that, closing in,” a voice came through on the radio.

The small boat began speeding away just as the skies opened up. Radmakker squinted against the rain, but couldn’t see the boat anymore. “Try and make contact, tell them we just want to talk. They’re going to get themselves killed if they keep going in this storm,” Radmakker barked into his radio.

A response came a few minutes later. “The boat is heading south into the storm, and we are getting no response from our attempts to make contact. The water is pretty rough, and visibility is low. What do you want us to do here?”

“Hold your position,” Radmakker ordered. He pursed his lips. There were three people on that boat. Specht had asked the three teenagers they had picked up at Pier 22 about Jesper and Kaz, but who could the third person be?

“Has there been any word about my son?” 

Radmakker turned at the sound of Jan Van Eck’s voice. The man had been waiting in the tent all afternoon for news about his son’s whereabouts. The boy who had come to plead Jesper Fahey’s case. It was a hunch, but Radmakker had a good idea about who else was on the boat. 

“It’s possible that he’s on the boat we’re chasing,” Radmakker said, watching Van Eck’s reaction. It almost looked like the man was relieved. “Mr. Van Eck, I need to ask a favor of you. I need you to try talking to the boys on the boat.”

“I don’t see how that would help. Brekker and Fahey were trying to kill me when they shot the Sheriff. If anything, me talking to them might make things worse,” Van Eck argued hastily.

“If your son is with them, perhaps you can get through to him,” Radmakker countered.

“Wylan got himself into this mess, he should be prepared to face the consequences,” Van Eck snapped.

“But he’s your son! Surely, you want to try and save him?” Radmakker eyed Van Eck suspiciously. The man certainly did not seem concerned with his son’s well-being, despite waiting at the command center until he was returned. “Unless there’s something you’re trying to hide?”

Van Eck’s eyes flashed. He marched over to the radio and grabbed the microphone. “What do you want me to say?”

Radmakker gave Van Eck a few talking points before telling him to make the attempt to contact the boat. He had been wary of Van Eck’s earlier interactions with his son, especially with how frightened the boy had been of his father. After the reluctance Van Eck had shown when given a chance to try and save his son’s life, Radmakker was very interested to see how this played out. 

*-*

Kaz drove the boat forward as fast as the rough waves would allow. The wind buffeted around _The Ferolind_ , and the passengers were being pelted by the harsh raindrops. Kaz had started the engine again as soon as he noticed the power had been restored to the island. With the lights back on, he knew they would not be able to go undetected. Sure enough, Stadwatch boats had cut off their escape routes. Kaz ignored the Stadwatch officers’ attempts at communication, focusing on steering. 

“Should we really be sailing into the storm?” Wylan cried out.

“It’s the only way out. The Stadwatch won’t follow us into it,” Kaz replied.

“Yeah, because they’re not crazy!” Jesper shouted.

“I don’t see you offering any bright ideas!” Kaz growled.

“Maybe we should go back and turn ourselves in. If we all tell them what happened, they have to believe us,” Jesper suggested.

“I worked very hard to keep you from getting arrested,” Kaz said.

“Well I worked very hard to stay alive, and I’d prefer not dying!”

“Kaz Brekker and Jesper Fahey,” the ship’s radio crackled to life. Wylan flinched at his father’s voice coming through the speaker. “You are going into a storm that you cannot survive. Turn around and come back. We want to help you, but you have to trust the Stadwatch. I am asking you, as a father, please bring my son back to me. We can work this out, but we need you to come back.”

“Don’t listen to him!” Wylan screamed.

Kaz had no intention of listening to his brother’s murderer. However, he could use this opportunity to his advantage. Van Eck had tipped his hand by working with the Stadwatch to control the story of Sheriff Rotty’s murder. Kaz reached for the radio’s microphone and pressed down on the button.

“Jan Van Eck, this is Kaz Brekker. Do you read me?”

There was a short burst of static before Van Eck’s voice came through again. “Yes, we can hear you. Turn the boat around. Agent Radmakker and Sheriff Specht have asked me to assure you that they are ready to hear your side of the story.”

“Are they listening now?” Kaz asked.

“Yes.”

“Good, because I think it’s time they hear the truth. You and Pekka Rollins murdered my brother, and you framed me and Jesper for a murder that we did not commit. You’ve taken everything from me, but I’m still here. And I swear, one day I’ll come back and take what’s mine. So you listen to me: I’m coming for you.” With that, Kaz switched off the radio and went back to driving the boat.

“Do you think they’ll believe you?” Jesper questioned. 

“I’m not turning around to find out,” Kaz said. He glanced over his shoulder at his two passengers. “Make sure your life jackets are secure, and find something to hold on to.” 

Kaz tried to focus on sailing the boat, but Jesper and Wylan’s shouts carried on the wind.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this, Wylan.”

“I’m not.”

“But we’re probably going to die!”

“My father was going to kill me anyway. I’d rather die here with you.”

“In case I don’t get another chance to say it, I love you, Wylan.”

“I love you, too, Jes.”

A wave crashed over the boat, drenching the boys. Kaz wiped the water out of his eyes only to have it replaced by rain and spray from the rising sea. The waves were getting higher and harder to ride out. Kaz knew they didn’t have much time. He thought of Inej, feeding crows on a rooftop. Inej dancing as they cleaned her parents’ restaurant. Inej with dawn’s golden halo behind her. Inej’s hand in his as they stared out at much calmer water. Her presence had always made him better. It almost seemed fitting that his world fell apart without her.

Another wave rocked the boat, and then another. Kaz’s thoughts turned to Jordie as _The Ferolind_ was picked up by a wave. The boat seemed to tip in slow motion, the front of the boat pointed up toward the sky before flipping over. The sea swallowed Kaz, and the last thought he had was of Jordie calling him home.

*-*

Specht stared at the radio, frozen in shock. Kaz Brekker had declared Jan Van Eck a murderer, and suddenly everything Rotty had been working on seemed to click into place. While the picture was still a little unclear, Specht felt that he could finally see it. If only it hadn’t been too late.

“We lost their radio signal, sir,” Holst said gently.

“Keep looking! Those are kids out there, we can’t give up on them,” Specht said. He reached out and clamped a hand on Van Eck’s shoulder. “Don’t go anywhere, I have some questions for you.” Van Eck didn’t stir, he just stared blankly ahead, resigned to what had been said. 

“Specht, Brekker and Fahey’s friends are asking for you,” Van Daal called.

Specht steeled himself to deliver the worst kind of news. He followed Van Daal out of the communications tent and back toward the main tent where he had left the teens. As soon as they saw him, they jumped to their feet. They approached him quickly, looking anxious.

“Did you find them?” Inej asked.

“No,” Specht replied.

“So they got away?” Nina prompted.

Specht hesitated. “We lost them. I’m sorry.”

Nina, Matthias, and Inej looked at him in confusion. “What does that mean, you lost them?” Matthias demanded. Specht saw his fists clench.

“They took an open boat into a tropical depression,” Specht explained gently. 

“So they’re dead,” Inej said, voice void of emotion.

“We don’t know that. We’re still looking,” Specht assured quickly. 

“You drove them straight into that storm! You killed them!” Nina shrieked. She advanced on Specht, fists raised. Matthias caught her and pulled her back, holding her as she broke down into sobs.

“They didn’t kill anyone, they were innocent,” Matthias said. 

Inej looked ready to crumble. “They said no funerals,” she whispered.

“Where is Jesper Fahey?”

Nina, Inej, and Matthias all turned to find Colm Fahey standing just inside the opening of the tent. Jesper’s father was soaked to the bone. He held his hat in his hands, his face was lined with worry. He looked as though he had aged ten years since the last time they had seen him. 

Colm took in their tearstained faces and paled. He looked between the three teens, searching for any sign of hope. “Please, where is my son?”

Nina broke away from Matthias and rushed to Colm. She enveloped him in a hug, sobbing into his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she cried, her voice muffled.

Colm stood shellshocked, unable to return Nina’s embrace. “No. Tell me it’s not true. Matthias? Inej? And where’s Kaz? Please there has to be some mistake.”

“Kaz and Jesper didn’t make it,” Matthias confirmed solemnly. 

Colm sagged in Nina’s arms. Matthias and Inej moved to join Nina and Mr. Fahey. Specht took in the scene sadly, unsure of what to do. He watched the group cling to each other in grief. 

There would be time for questions and answers later. For now, they needed to mourn.

*-*

The sun shone brightly over a calm sea. The water moved naturally with the wind. The only thing around for miles was an overturned boat, bobbing gently in the waves. 

Kaz awoke with a start, coughing up water. He laid half on the boat, half in the sea. His muscles ached. His fingers were clamped around a rope that he had been holding onto when _The Ferolind_ capsized. He wasn’t sure how he managed to hold on while unconscious, but if Matthias were here he would make some statement about how many lives a demjin had.

The thought of Matthias reminded Kaz that he hadn’t been alone on the boat. He searched the water for his crewmates. Jesper was floating close by, draped over the bottom of the boat. Kaz released the rope he was holding onto and inched towards Jesper. “Wake up, Jesper!” Kaz yelled as he approached. 

Jesper sputtered awake. “Kaz? Where are we?” 

“How am I supposed to know?”

Kaz watched as Jesper took in their surroundings. “Saints, are we dead?”

“It’ll take more than a storm to kill Kaz Brekker,” Kaz rasped.

“Kaz is being extra, we’re definitely dead,” Jesper grinned. The smile slipped off his face and was replaced by a look of panic. “Where’s Wylan? Wylan?!”

A cough came from the other end of the overturned boat. Jesper swam around to find Wylan clinging to another rope attached to the boat. Jesper pushed Wylan further up onto the bottom of the boat before climbing up himself. Wylan snuggled into Jesper’s side and Jesper wrapped an arm around his merchling. Kaz sat across from them, and all three boys looked down at what remained of _The Ferolind_. 

“I can’t believe we made it,” Wylan breathed. Jesper nodded in agreement.

“It’s hardly something to celebrate. We’re stuck here, in the middle of the ocean, with no way back to land,” Kaz reminded. He looked out onto the horizon, but nothing caught his eye.

“Look, is that a boat?” Wylan pointed to something behind Kaz.

Kaz turned around, and sure enough, there was a large ship in the distance.

“Hey! Over here!” Jesper screamed. He reached over into the water and splashed around, trying to draw the other boat’s attention.

“I think it’s too far away for anyone to hear us,” Wylan said sadly.

Wylan was right, they were much too far from the boat to be heard. However, Kaz could still signal them. He reached into his inside breast pocket and pulled out the chunk of gold that Jesper had retrieved from the Slat. Kaz held up the gold, letting it catch the sunlight. He tilted it, spelling out SOS in Morse code with flashes of light. The three boys waited. They watched the boat to see if someone would respond to their distress call. Kaz kept signaling SOS, all three boys holding their breath in anticipation.

As minutes passed without a return message, Kaz couldn’t help but feel disappointed. He let the hand holding the gold fall back to his side. He turned back to his companions to find his defeat mirrored in their faces. “Guess our luck has run out,” Kaz sighed.

The blast of a horn made the boys look back at the ship. Someone was flashing a light at them, and it looked as though the ship was changing course.   
“They see us!” Wylan cried. 

“Thank the Saints, Ghezen, Djel, and your Aunt Eva,” Jesper laughed.

Kaz lifted the gold again and resumed signaling. The large boat, which turned out to be an ocean barge, drew closer to them. Once it was close enough, a rope ladder was cast over the side of the boat. Kaz gestured for Jesper and Wylan to go first. Jesper helped Wylan onto the ladder before following him up. Kaz brought up the rear.

Crew members were waiting on the deck with towels and water bottles. A man who appeared to be the Captain addressed them. “You boys are lucky we came through here. How did you end up stranded in the middle of the ocean?”

“It’s kind of a long story,” Jesper shrugged. 

“Was there anyone else with you? Is there anyone we can call for you?” The Captain asked.

“There isn’t anyone to call,” Kaz answered quickly. Jesper and Wylan shot him confused looks, but he shook his head at them. While this crew had saved their lives, he wasn’t sure if they could be trusted.

“Let’s get you out of the sun. Come on into the cabin, we’ll get some food for you,” The Captain invited, leading them inside the main cabin. He motioned them toward some chairs. Jesper fell onto a chair and dragged Wylan onto his lap. Kaz wasn’t sure if the red color of Wylan’s face was from a blush or a sunburn, but Wylan didn’t move to a different chair. Kaz sank down next to them, stretching out his bad leg. He allowed a moment of silence for the loss of his crow’s head cane, which had no doubt sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

“Where were you kids trying to go, anyway?”

“You can just drop us off at the next port. It doesn’t matter where,” Kaz said.

The Captain looked at them strangely, but nodded. A crewman came into the cabin with bowls of soup on a tray. He placed them onto the table in front of the boys.  
“So, where are we headed?” Jesper asked in between slurps of soup. Wylan sat slumped against him, half asleep. 

“Sanaus,” The Captain told them. He excused himself to steer the boat back to its intended course.

Wylan gasped. “The Southern Colonies! Sanaus was where I was supposed to go with my father in the plane,” he exclaimed quietly.

“The gold,” Jesper’s eyes widened in understanding. 

The wheels started turning in Kaz’s mind. An idea was starting to take shape. It wasn’t quite a plan, but it could be the start of one.

“Wylan,” Jesper whispered. “Would you describe Kaz’s current expression as a scheming face?”

“Definitely,” Wylan answered.

Kaz’s lip quirked up in the barest hint of a smile. He was going to get his money, and he would make sure that he, Jesper, and Wylan would get back home. Kaz had a promise to keep to Inej.

Ketterdam had not seen the last of the Dregs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody want a sequel?


End file.
